Anthem Of My Dying Days
by TheEyesOfAHitokiri
Summary: A blond-haired genin ran away from Konoha and learned the art of the Samurai in Japan after a meet with a wanderer... RK Naruto X-over... Plz read and Review! Chapter 12 now! any fresh reviews recommended!
1. Prologue

**Anthem Of My Dying Day**

Disclaimer - I do not own any Naruto characters and Saitou Hajime, Kenshin Himura Battohsai of Samurai X and Ieyasu, Yoshinobu of the Tokugawa Family.

Anyway, this is my first fanfic... hope anybody can teach me a lot on how to produce a better fanfic... he he..

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Prologue

That day Yoshinobu Tokugawa, as known as the Kogure No Hitokiri (Shadow Manslayer) was walking in a forest near the Konoha - Japan border. It was a snowy day... perghhh, what a cold day!!! But that minor obstacles didn't cause any effect to the one of most dangerous manslayer in Japan, since he always wear a thick, long coat to hide his 1.5 metres samurai sword.

"Dammit, this is a 'dooms-day out' for me... and I don't bring any bottles of sake or a pack of Marlboro, Dunhill or Lucky Strike with me now... Shit, how dare Saitou Hajime ordered me to guard this bloody-border!!! Even the Hidden-Leaf Hokage wouldn't so fuckin' dare to walk across this border!!!" He muttered alone.

Japan and The Hidden Village of Konoha had been in war for 100 years, leaving a lot of casualities behind... most of them belongs to the Konoha themselves. The main cause of the war?? Konoha intended to conquer Japan to decrease the popularity of the samurai among the Japanese citizens as the strong and true equal opponent of the ninja. Most samurai live to serve Japan under Tokugawa Families, and they have the same principles of never teach the art of Kata and Battou-jutsu (the art of swordmanship) to the ninjas. this included the art of the Ki (the strong desire to kill or formally, the spirit of the samurai), the god-like speed that rivaled the Leaf Hokage himself, and the amazing control of samurai sword which looks like dancing with grace, but at the same time causes real fatalities to the opponents. This principles of course had upset the 4th Leaf Hokage, and as a result, he ordered the Leaf Anbu to attack Kyoto, the city of blood and demon before he died. However, their attack were stopped by the Tokugawa No Hitokiri, consists of Yoshinobu Tokugawa the Shadow Manslayer, Kenshin Himura the The Well-Known Manslayer and Saitou Hajime the Mibu Wolf of the Shinsen Gumi. Almost 200 Anbu were killed in the incident. This news had been spread all over Konoha and these three manslayer were known as 'The Three Demons of Tokugawa' among Konoha citizens and ninjas. To these hitokiris, the enormous, high-skilled usage of Chakra and the usage of mere ninja skills can be defeated by the highly developed skill, the god-like speed of katana-wielding, the true sharpness of instinct and senses, besides the correct flows of Ki to effect the surrounding of the fighting site.

Okay, back to the story...

"AAAh fuck!!!! This is so fuckin' boring... I'm gonna slay Saitou when I'm done with this crap!!!" again Yoshinobu muttered alone. Suddenly, he saw a boy with a blonde hair walked weakly across the border. Behind him, there were two Anbu who were in the killing stances, ready to slaughter their prey.

"Hei Boy!!! Watch out!!!"

Yoshinobu dashed quickly until he reached in front of those two Anbu.

" Dark Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu... Double Kuzuryu-sen!!! "

Within the blink of an eye, pieces of those Anbu bodies scatterred all over the floor of the place. "Hmm, let me see... there are 15 slashes I've delivered to these motherfuckers just now... Oh Kami-sama, forgot about my target, to deliver at least 18 slashes to each opponent... shit.." again and again he muttered alone.

He walked slowly towards the boy, but shocked when he looked the boy's face. "Uzumaki Naruto??? The Kyuubi's container??"

The boy slowly fainted in Yoshinobu's arm, maybe because of lack of eating foods or drinking some water...

"Is this as were told by my dreams before, a boy who has a demon on his side, comes to me to be the 15th Seijyuro Hiko of the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu???... Weird, this is fuckin' weird... " He think alone before bring the fainted boy to nearest hospital, to treat the boy.

End Of Prologue

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How's Your opinion?? Is it okay?? because I'm suck in writing stories, rather then drawing comics.. Hope all of you will review... That's all for now...

the 1st episode will be arriving soon ( 1st Episode - The True Meaning of Friend) stay tune!!!


	2. Chapter 1 : The True Meaning Of Friend

**Anthem Of My Dying Day**

Episode 1 :- The True Meaning Of Friends

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Flashback 

Slowly Naruto make his way from the Leaf-Hokage office, leaving his nin-comrades behind. His team failed retrieving Sasuke back, from being running into Orochimaru's fangs while Chouji, Neji, and Kiba has been treated in Konoha Hospital, after injured severly in their battle with the 4 special Sound-nin. He tries to comfort himself, but he couldn't after thinking of what must he do to face the anger of Konoha ninjas, especially Sakura who is madly-deeply in love with Sasuke.

..."Goddamit, Naruto!!! You've promised me to bring Sasuke-kun back, where is you promise???!! Please, Naruto... Please, I don't wanna hear you lame and silly excuses again!!!! Out of my sight, now... Now!!!"...

The painful words of Sakura echoes continuously in his ears. At first, Naruto also shocked with the words which came out from Sakura, but he realises that love can turn people into silly, dumb, blind and finally being selfish... for not considering the hearts of other people. And his final conclusion is, love is useless at all...

This time, Naruto fells that he must get rid of his feelings of love and caring from his heart, besides to be heartless and full of cruelty. Yes, that is his final decision about those sad incidents he just faced before. His love and caring towards Sakura and Team number 7, his concerns of his nin-comrades, the feelings of being taken cared of Tsunade-bachan, Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei... He must get rid of those craps in order to be the strongest. After all, it doesn't means that he has to achieve the rank of Leaf-Hokage in order to be strongest.

While he is on his way to his apartment, he meet with a wanderer who is walking past him. the, the wanderer suddenly stop and glared to him with an eye of a heartless hitokiri.

"Your stories of life is too sad for me to hear... Uzumaki Naruto...", the wanderer voiced. "h... h... ho... how do you know my name??". Naruto fell extremely surprised to know even a wanderer knows everything about him... too weird... extremely weird... total-double-too-extremely weird!!!! "Aah, a good question... but its too foolish for me to answer it... hey, Uzumaki... I know a suitable place for you in your search for power and to be strongest...", the wanderer adds. Naruto's eyes blinked after hearing the words from the wanderer. This sounds obvious for him, since he only knows Konoha Village are only the place where the strongest ninja are produced. "Where must I go, wanderer-san??", Naruto finally voiced. The environment become silent for a minute just before the wanderer spit out the words that are totally shocked Naruto... " Japan, where the highly-skilled samurai are produced!!! Ah, when you reach Kyoto the city of bloods and demon, find a man be the name of Kenshin Himura 'Battousai' in Ishin Shishi Inn, he is the successor of the 200 years old Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu sacred sword technique... he will be pleased to teach you, only if you promised to use the sword technique to defend the weak and to protect the innocents.. I bet he will teach you, because your heart is pure, although these damn villagers won't believe in you...".

"Kenshin Himura... as known as Hitokiri Battousai... I'll remember it..", Naruto thought for a moment.

"Hey wanderer-san, thanks for your information... actually, who are you and why are you here?? You're not from this village.. I bet", Naruto asked the wanderer.

"When you've mastered Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu techniques, you will have to meet me first before applying to be the member of Tokugawa Hitokiri Force... My name is Yoshinobu Tokugawa, leader of Tokugawa Hitokiri Force... remember that!!! Don't you're ever die before achieving your dream!!! That is our deal as an honourable samurai and from now on, you're not ninja anymore, you're one of us, the samurai!!!", the wanderer speaks before he continues his paces as a wanderer.

"ahh... He is one of the Three Demons of Tokugawa!!!! He acknowledged me as one of them, what an honor... ", the thoughts suddenly crossed his mind. He is touched by the words from the wanderer. yes, this is the first time where someone acknowledged his abilities and doesn't discriminate him when his own comrades and villagers have done such harsh things to him. Samurai honours his comrades more than himself, especially during ceremonies or in battles. Compared to ninja, the relationship between a ninja and others only limited in certain situation, just like in battles or during works. Naruto's experiences tells him that.

Without any doubt, Naruto decides that he must go to Japan, to achieve his dream to be the strongest, leaving all of his sad and painful memories behind...

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End of Flashback 

"Hey, Uzumaki... Wake up!!! Uzumaki!!!"

Naruto opens his eyes, to watch The Three Demons of Tokugawa standing towards his patient-bed in Kyoto Hospital. Yoshinobu Tokugawa the leader of 13th Batalion of Meiji Army Force, Saitou Hajime Fujita Gorou the leader of Kyoto police force and finally his future kenjutsu master, Kenshin Himura Battousai who has backed-off since Tokugawa Shogunate fell upon the power of the new government, the Meiji Government.

"Where am I ? Am I alive? Is this heaven??", there goes his stupid question.

"Of course you're alive, bonehead... lucky you, I don't kill a 13 years old Genin...", Saitou voices as he try to lit his cigarette in the special ward.

"Hey Saitou-san, you are not allowed to smoke in the hospital... didn't sessha just told you that, de gozaru??", Kenshin voiced to stop Saitou the heavy-smoker to lit his cigrette.

"Fuck, bullshit... after all, he's okay now... look at him, okay and even more energetic to spit out some ahou question.. see..", Saitou objected.

"Saitou-san, you just won't be so polite to our new family member, aren't you? Be polite even once to our Naruto-kun... he's still a young person after all..", Kenshin tries to lecture Saitou about the art of morality.

"Okay, okay... enough of your bloody-ass polite lecture session... they keep on stabing my ears, to be honest...", Saitou voices out his unsatisfaction but later interupted by the loud voice of Yoshinobu.

"Can't both of you just keep quiet... unless if you want our Naruto to get killed by just hearing to your fool arguments, do you!?" Yoshinobu scolds both of them.

That time Naruto just giggles with joy and fun, thinking of them accepting Naruto as their new family member.

"Nobody would accept me as a member of their family, especially after they knows about the Kyuubi monster in my body... don't all of you even scared with Kyuubi??" Naruto's question makes them to be silent for a moment before Kenshin finally voices.

"Naruto-kun, although you're the Kyuubi container, but you are still apart of our family... that doesn't make you a monster at all... for your information, sessha am an orphan too, while Yoshinobu's shogunate parent exiled him from the Edo castle because he killed his uncle Tokugawa Keisuke the betrayer, and Saitou's parent exiled him from Aizu resident for killing a man who plotted on destroying Aizu... Our pasts aren't totally that different, right? That makes us a family, bonded by the spirit of the samurai inside our heart... right, Naruto-kun??".

That words really makes Naruto filled with tears. Nobody says that precious words to him, even Tsunade-bachan didn't mentioned about it before. That words really touches his heart a lot... Kenshin comforts him, while Saitou and Yoshinobu watch the touching moments with smirks on their lips.

"Hey, brat... we are samurai, we don't have any fear of your Kyuubi... We're even worse than your Kyuubi, and that's why we earned the name of The Three Demons Of Tokugawa from your former Konoha Village...", Saitou adds.

"Uzumaki... from now on, we are your trully friends, we fight together, we share the pain and joy together, just let us know your problems and we'll settle them.. even with our swords... okay??", Yoshinobu tries carefully to comfort Naruto.

For the first time in Naruto's life, he honestly replys back in the words of "Thanks, my friends..."

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-End of Episode One- 

The touching part in this fanfic... where Naruto finds out out that The Three Demons of Tokugawa accepted him as their family member without even looking at his life history... I mean, no discrimination and prejudice at all... The most touching part in this fanfic is yet to be come, when Naruto comes back to his Konohakagure and meet with Tsunade to discuss the peace treaty between Konohakagure (Fire Country) and Kyoto (Japan)...

to be honest, do my fanfic sucks?? I'm not so confident in writing stories... please give a lil bit of teachings and tips on how to publish a better fanfic... Onegaishimasu!!!

Okay, some information on The Three Demons of Tokugawa + The Apprentice:-

**The Demons of Tokugawa**

Yoshinobu Tokugawa - An abandoned child of the Tokugawa Feudal Family. Being exiled from Edo Castle after kills his uncle, Tokugawa Keisuke who betrays his father, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Learns Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu from Kakukoshin Niitsu (Seijyuro Hiko the 14th), who after that teaches Kenshin. Due to his extreme despair, lonliness and sadness, he modifies the whole Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu into the dark one which later his steps are followed by Naruto. A 27 years old guy who never smiles and possesses a white and greyish hair, results from his feelings of sadness and despair.

Kenshin Himura - An orphan, saved by Kakukoshin Niitsu (Seijyuro Hiko the 14th) from the bandits which before that, kill his friends. He learns Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu and later involves in Bakumatsu Era between Shogunate soldiers and the Imperial reformist samurai. he joins Ishin Shishi under the Imperial reformist conduct, and earns his name as Hitokiri Battousai. He has once married but his wife, Tomoe killed in a tragic incident during his fight with the Tokugawa Ninjas (that's why he hates ninja). After the government possesses power to overthrow Tokugawa Shogunate, he dissappears without any trace and reasons at all, being a wanderer and brings a reversed-edged sword, as he vows not to kill again to atone for his fallen comrades. A 22 years old charming, smart-looking guy and possessed an X scar on his left cheek. He never settles the fight between him and Saitou Hajime, as the unsettled fight later has been told in the history as the legendary sword-fight which will only ends when one of them dies.

Saitou Hajime - A son of Aizu Feudal Daimyo, which later exiled from his family by his father after kill his father's friend, who plotted on destroying Aizu. he wanders around Japan for a year, alone before Kondo Isami (Shinsen Gumi President) invites him to join the Shinsen Gumi. He becomes the Captain of 3rd Division which executes misconduct shogunate officers and hunting hitokiris. He has encounter wihh Battousai several times, but don't have any chances to settle the score. After the falls of Tokugawa Shogunate, he joins the Meiji Police Force to continue applicating his principles of Aku, Zaku, Zan (Slay The Evil Instantly). A 25 years old who likes eating soba and smoking and as seen as the immortal unsang heroes of the Shinsen Gumi due to his strong will to survive during the Bakumatsu era which impresses the samurai of the Imperial forces. A sentimental guy who often seen visiting his fallen comrades graveyards, praying and sometimes sitting next to their graveyards and smoking, especially his best-friend's graveyard, Okita Souji (Captain of 1st Division of Shinsen Gumi) who dies because of tubercolisis(Tibi) a day just before the new government takes places.

**The Apprentice**

Uzumaki Naruto - A son of Arashi the Konohakagure Yondaime, and the Kyuubi vessel. Arashi sacrificed his life to seal Kyuubi into Naruto to save Konoha Village. The villagers always looks Naruto as a monster and often mock, torture, insult and discriminise him. After the Sasuke Runaway incident, he grow up blaming himself for being so weak and finally after crossed path with a wanderer, he decides to go to Japan. He later meets The Three Demons Of Tokugawa and team up with them to defend the weak and innocent lives. He learns Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu with Kenshin but due to his extreme feelings of blaming himself for unable to stop Sasuke and make Sakura happy, the despair and sadness, finally he end up his sword-fighting lessons by following the steps of Yoshinobu... modifies the whole techniques of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu into Dark Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu. He changes his name into Kankyo Kanashii (Sad Surroundings). To be honest, this new Naruto is completely heartless, cold-blooded, and has no feelings at all since he has totally getting rid of his feelings of love, joy, the heart of youth, energetic, curious and other feelings when he is a ninja of Konoha Village.. by killing so many opponents (about 700 men, all alone by himself) in a big war between the goverment soldiers and Satsuma rebels on Sapporo, Japan.

Disclaimer - This is a fanfic only, has no connection with the history and those who is still alive or has deceased.

Stay tune for Episode 2 - Two Different Places, Two Different Situations


	3. Chapter 2 : 2 Diff Places & Situation

**Anthem Of My Dying Days**

Author's note :

- a huge THANK YOU for DemonKid for his review, which is the 1st review for this fanfic. I will push myself harder to figure out any new and extra-amazing ideas to make this fanfic more stylish and different from other fanfics.

- no ultimate pairing in this fanfic, except for a lil bit of sasuXsaku, kenXtomoe, saitouXtokio and maybe a whole page for naruXhina.. (hi,hi)

that's all... plz keep on reading and giving your own comments... I need those to improve my writing... thanks for everything, especially the supports!!!

Fan : Ganbatte Hitokiri-san!!!

TheEyesOfAHitokiri : hai, sou desu!!!

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**Episode 2 : Two Different Places, Two Different Situations**

The Imperial Bamboo Forest, Kyoto, Japan

That morning is a totally calm morning, suitable for a highly-skilled samurai to meditate besides training his senses, power of instincts and Ki. It is even more nice when a refreshing morning breeze blows, making the environment of the Imperial Bamboo Forest a perfect place for a samurai to train and enhances their skills and techniques. Rumours said that during Tokugawa shogunate rule, the Imperial Bamboo Forest is a forbidden place for a mere citizens and ordinary shogunate officers to enter, since the place is reserved just only for samurai from Tokugawa families. But now in Meiji era, everything has changed due to the Meiji government's policy, which follows the true implementation of democracy and parliamentary system.

K-changggg!!!! K-changgg!!!! Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Ryu-tsui-sen!!!

After a quite moments of silence, a sound of two samurai swords collide into each other break the peace environment of the forest. The sound continues for a couple of minutes, before dissappears... then the sound seems to appear again.

K-changgggg!!! Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Ikazuchi Ryu-tsui-sen!!! Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Ryu-kan-sen Garami!!!

"You're too slow, for a highly-skilled samurai... Naruto-kun!!! Don't be too hesitate to give some fatal blows to the enemies!!!" voice suddenly have been heard through the midst of the bamboo forest.

K-channgggg!!!! Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Ryu-kan-sen!!! Do-ryu-sen!!!!

"I just can't increase more speed, Kenshin-sensei!!! What must I do to achieve the god-like speed??"

The training session stops for a moment. It seems that Kenshin Himura is still unsatisfies with Naruto's progress of swordmanship.

"Naruto-kun, you're holding a sword in the wrong way... you should holding the sword according to the samurai style by pointing the blade of your sword to the enemy to show them that you're not afraid of them, not to hide the sword behind your back just like the ninja style of sword-fighting... that is the most disgusting ways of sword-fighting, de gozaru..."

"Sorry, I'm just carried away with my previous taijutsu session with Kakashi-sensei... can we continue our training session?"

"Before that, there will be 2 hours more for you to spend for technique learning with sessha... after that, sessha will leave your for the whole afternoon to buy some ramen for you and some riceballs for sessha, that time you will enchance your skills all by yourself... then in the evening we will meditate besides sharpening our senses, instincts and Ki... okay??"

"Okay... Kenshin-sensei..."

"Good luck, Naruto-kun... and don't forget about your reasons to be a samurai, sessha sure that will push you harder and harder..."

"Thanks for your advices...I appreciate them very much!!!"

That time Naruto realizes that he is one step closer to the state of being stronger and stronger within day by day, due to his strong will of learning and remembering the whole steps and techniques that he has learnt from Kenshin. Those advices that was given by Kenshin seems having a great impact on Naruto, and he continues training and training without caring too much about his pains. For what reasons he should worry now since he had left his broken heart behind, along with his dying love towards Sakura, the brotherhood bond between him and Sasuke, the friendship between him and the rest of Konohakagure ninja such as Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Neji, Rock Lee, Sai, Chouji, Shikamaru and his family-like relationship with Tsunade-bachan, Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei and Shizune-senpai. Naruto's heart tells him that someday he will be coming back to Konoha Village whether he refuses it or not. So, he must change his name, his hairstyle and colour to avoid being captured by hunter-nins and finally ends up his life on the execution stage.

"It has been decided that from now on people will know me by the name of Kankyo Kanashii (Sad Surroundings), I will let my hair grow longer and I will change my hairstyle into ponytail hairstyle, colour? hmm... white greyish colour is suitable for me... Yeah, the colour of sadness and despair...", Naruto talks to himself, in a monotone voice, as same as Yoshinobu's calm and steady monotone voice.

From a distance not far from the training site, Kenshin watches his apprentice keep on training and training with unusual feelings.

"Sessha afraid this boy will drastically turns into the state where he has no feelings at all, looks sad, despair, hopeless, heartless and insane just like The 14th first disciple, Yoshinobu-senpai... Naruto, don't you ever be just like that...", Kenshin whisperes to himself as he worries about the future of his disciple. Then the red-haired guy flee to his destination with his god-like speed ability.

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The Hokage Office, Konoha Village

Tsunade is still sitting on his office chair, enjoying the view of Konohakagure during sunset. Yet still she couldn't runaway from being haunted with the runaway Naruto incident She even thinks of blaming herself for being failed in her responsibility to take care of and protect Naruto from any sinister offence. Slowly Tsunade reaches the necklace that she had once gave to Naruto, but later she found the necklace on her desk, along with a note that stated :

Thanks for your love and supports towards me, but I have to go...

my destiny is not in Konohakagure, but in Japan...

You know what does it means, don't you?

I'm gonna get rid of my way as a ninja, and I will start my own way as a free and lone samurai, and I don't even regret on following my new path...

'cause this path has been destined for me...

Anyway, just consider that a ninja by the name of Naruto is dead...

Don't try to search for me...

Naruto (Rest In Peace)

The incident is still fresh in her mind, even though three years have passed since the incident happened. Tears running heavily over her cheek as she looks far into the north of the village, remembering on how Naruto laugh loudly and boast-off his dream, to be Hokage... but now everything has ruined. Even Tsunade herself nearly commited suicide, due to her great loss of Naruto.

To her, Naruto is just like her little brother who died in the First Ninja War and she has a big responsibility to take care of Naruto, besides being a reliable person to Naruto if he tells Tsunade his problems, or what have haunted his life. But Naruto is still not willing to share his despair and sadness with anybody else in Konoha, not even with Tsunade herself. He rather shares his feelings with his own samurai sword "Nagasone Kotetsu" which he got from Yoshinobu Tokugawa during their meet in the midnight, just a month before he ran away to Japan.

"Still haunted by the ghost of Naruto-kun again, Tsunade-sensei??", a voice interrupts her far thoughts on Naruto.

"Oh, Sakura... no.. I... I... some shitty dust entered my eyes, that's why my eyes are fulls of tears... it hurts, to be honest...", Tsunade voices as she wipesaway her tears.

"Don't lie to me, sensei... We have spend 6 years together as a teacher and a student, there's no way you can cheat me just like any ordinary young girl... Tsunade-sensei, I really miss Naruto, rather than I miss Sasuke-kun... He still want to make me happy even though that it is impossible for him to do that... I 've scolded him after his mission to retrieve Sasuke-kun, insult him severely... I was blinded by my total love towards Sasuke-kun... I... I..."

Sakura cries and could not complete her whole words as tears running over her cheek...

"Next month the Japanese delegacy will be coming to Konohakagure to discuss about peace treaty between Konohakagure and Tokyo.. it seems that they have changed their capital city from Kyoto to Tokyo (Edo)... Naruto should be in the delegacy, since he knows everything about Konohakagure and that is the best chance for us to retrieve Naruto back from Japan... but I really hope that those Three Demons of Tokugawa doesn't change him into someone we don't even recognize at all.."

"Tsunade-sensei... I don't.. understand what are you trying to say.. what do you mean... that we might not recognize Naruto?"

"Sakura, what happens if you found out that Naruto is no longer Naruto anymore... If he joins some bastard and mother-fuckin' heartless samurai such as Yoshinobu Tokugawa, Kenshin Himura, Saitou Hajime and finally turns into a heartless and cruel samurai... what the fuck can we do about it?"

"What??? The Three Demons Of Tokugawa teach him the katana technique?? Oh my god, this is insane!!!!", Sakura shouts towards Tsunade.

The surrounding of the Hokage office becomes silent for a moment. That moment, Kakashi and Jiraiya appear in the office, after entering the office by the window which is opened.

"Jiraya, I heard you're searching for Naruto in Japan... what about the news considering Naruto? Whatever the news you bring, I want to hear them now!!", Tsunade asked Jiraiya.

The surrounding of the Hokage office becomes silent again before Jiraiya starts spit out words that shocks everybody in the office.

"Naruto learns the sacred Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu from 16th Seijyuro Hiko Kenshin Himura Battousai, one of the legendary Three Demons of Tokugawa... he has changed his appearance and probably, his name too... I'm afraid he will ends up just like the 15th Seijyuro Hiko Yoshinobu Tokugawa, modifying the real technique into Dark Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu... in order to heal his sadness and despair... that would be so dangerous, since the dark technique changes a person into a heartless, cruel, demonic... ouh, I cannot continue talking about it anymore...", Jiraiya voices, in a sad mood... maybe that reminds him about his failure as a former teacher of Naruto.

"Oh my god... what have we done???", Tsunade sighs, tears wildly running over her cheek. She has failed to protect a young child and she blames herself for that.

"I guess we couldn't do anything about it... Naruto has choosed the path of his life... we don't have the power needed to change him into his former attitude... poor Naruto...", Kakashi adds.

Silence again conquers the surroundings of the office before Sakura suddenly shouts half-histerically.

"No.. No...N... NO!!!!! I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!! ALL OF YOU... ALL OF YOU... isk... isk... isk...", Sakura dashed out of the Hokage office, leaving only Tsunade, Jiraiya and Kakashi behind.

Finally, the news about Naruto learning the sacred Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu has spread to all of Naruto's former comrades and friends, which ruins their only hope to watch Naruto comes back with his usual talkative boast-off style, his grin and his loud-talking habits. Hearing to this news, Hinata is the one who totally suffers from her extreme love feelings towards Naruto and in the next day, she nearly commits suicide which stuns the entire Hyuuga Family, to know that their princess trully loves Naruto very much and willing to kill herself rather than to live a painful life.

That time, all hopes become despair... just like an old leaf becomes dust after being blown by strong wind...

- End Of Episode Two -

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stay tune for Episode Three - Time After Time

Author's note :

- I usually listens to some sad songs before writing this fanfic and most of the episode titles are songs' title...

- Keep on reading and reviewing this fanfic... Thank You!!!!

- "such a lonely day, and it's mine..." - the clues of the stories in episode three...


	4. Chapter 3 : Time After Time

**Anthem Of My Dying Days**

Author's note

- Thanks everybody for your reviews and advices... they surely will become the sources of motivation for me to continue writing this fanfic...

- Warning!!! This chapter will be consisting of some brutal action-packed sword-fighting... massacres and killings everywhere!!!!

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Chapter 3 - Time After Time

_Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick and think of you_

_Caught up in circles _

_Confusion is nothing new_

_Flashback, warm nights_

_Almost left behind_

_Suitcase of memories_

_Time after_

_Sometimes you picture me_

_I'm walking too far ahead_

_You're calling to me, I can't hear_

_What you've said_

_Then you say, "go slow"_

_I fall behind_

_The second hand unwinds_

_If you're lost you can look and you will find me_

_Time after time_

_If you fall I will catch you I'll be waiting_

_Time after time_

_If you're lost you can look and you will find me_

_Time after time_

_If you fall I will catch you I will be waiting_

_Time after time_

_After my picture fades and darkness has_

_Turned to gray_

_Watching through windows_

_you're wondering if I'm OK_

_Secrets stolen from deep inside_

_The drum beats out of time_

_If you're lost you can look and you will find me_

_Time after time_

_If you fall I will catch you I'll be waiting_

_Time after time_

_You say "go slow"_

_I fall behind_

_The second hand unwinds_

_If you're lost you can look and you will find me_

_Time after time_

_If you fall I will catch you I'll be waiting_

_Time after time_

_If you're lost you can look and you will find me_

_Time after time_

_If you fall I will catch you I will be waiting_

_Time after time_

_Time After Time_

_by Cindy Lauper

* * *

_

Wisemen always say that time always keep on running, leaving those who never use them for good purpose. Clock's ticking, seasons passing by, day, months and years changing. Wise person always learn on how to manage their time accurately and efficiently while the fools always keep on delaying time, not knowing that time cannot be delayed and wasted in a miserable way of life.

Yes, it has been 4 years since Naruto had ran away from Konoha Village. He has spent 1 year to search for Kenshin Himura all over Japan, and another 3 years for learning Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu with Kenshin just after he's been released from Kyoto General Hospital. Naruto has been using these 3 years efficiently and now it will be coming into its end.

"This will be sessha's last lessons for you, Naruto-kun... These ultimate techniques will determine either you are worth of learning Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu or not... be prepared mentally and physically for today's lessons!!!"

"So, Kenshin-sensei... may I know what are the ultimate techniques that I've to learn today? I'm too curious about them..."

"Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu sacred stance Kuzu-ryusen, 'the nine-headed dragon slash' and the final and ultimate technique, Amakakeru Ryunohirameki... which mean 'dragon's flying high on the sky, initiating bright and fatal lights'... these techniques only can be used if you're in desperate situation, which will end the fight with the total victory on your side..."

"Kenshin-sensei... I just not understand about your last phrase... total victory on my side??? what do it means??"

"These techniques are created to annihilate your enemies totally, unlike other techniques of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu which can cause your enemies to faint or just unconscious if you hit them in the soft way... but these two stances have no other choice for you, except if you're using reversed-blade sword just like sessha's... that means you have to kill your enemies if you're using these techniques... sessha's experience? sessha have nearly killed sessha's own sensei to master these techniques... but sessha don't have any regret at all if today my life ends by your sword..."

"Kenshin-sensei..."

"Sessha have done too many sins, and sessha guess this is only the method that God choose to forgive sessha... to protect the weak and innocents, sessha have killed too many people which sessha don't even know their background and don't even consider anything about their loved ones... Yoroshii, shikata ga nai..."

The environment becomes silent for a couple of minutes before Naruto's wish suddenly shocks Kenshin.

"Kenshin-sensei, I want to use your sword... let us exchange swords, because I don't want to kill you... I'm going to master these techniques by my own way... please sensei... rather than kiling my own master which is very kind to me, I rather burn Konoha Village into ashes and dust..."

"Naruto-kun!!! Your wish is to dumb for sessha to fulfill... sessha won't break sessha's own promise, not to kill people!!!"

"Kenshin-sensei, please have some trust on me... you're not going to kill me because I will be the strongest of all samurai in Japan!!!", Naruto speaks as his eyes are full of determinations and confident.

"..."

"Okay, Naruto-kun... anyway, sessha's last tips for you, you have to differentiate correctly between your life and death in order to master these skills.. in other words, you must have the strongest will of survive to achieve your dream... that is the main essence of these techniques... are you ready??"

"yes, sensei..."

* * *

Their last lessons have been watched carefully by other two Demons of Tokugawa. In order to avoid been discovered, they have to fully hide their own Ki. One of them drinks sake, while another person softly lit his cigarette. 

"Saitou-kun, I can't believe that Uzumaki can achieve this far... even I have to spend about 6 years learning that Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu style...", one of them start their conversations.

"ha ha ha... That brat is a clever and hardworking person, more than you're, Yoshinobu... no wonder he can achieve this far... "

"Are you saying that I'm the most dumbass samurai among us???"

"In addition, you're more dumber and crazier than that brat...", Saitou speaks before he blows away the smokes that he has inhaled just now.

"Shit, at least I'm not a heavy smoker who have a pair of so-called steel lungs... ha ha ha ha!!!"

"Shut up, monkey... at least pay a little concentration to this duel, you nuthead!!!", Saitou says in a killer monotone voice.

"Okay, okay... gruffy little old-man!!", Yoshinobu replies back.

* * *

The environment has became silent for minutes just before Kenshin and Naruto whisper in their killer monotone voice. 

"Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu final techniques..."

Their Ki explodes, and finally fill the whole space of their training site.

"...Kuzuryusen!!!!"

Nine slashes has been delivered in a time by both of them, which break nearby bamboo trees into small tiny pieces.

Their attack clashes in the speed of the blink of an eye, and after that they quickly move into the ultimate stance...

"...Amakakeru Ryunohirameki!!!! Naruto-kun, show sessha your ways of the samurai!!!!!", Kenshin shouts as he dashes in his infamous god-like speed.

"I cannot afford to lose in this final moment... I have to live to achieve my dream...", Naruto thinks for a nano-second just before he get back into his ultimate stance.

the faces of every characters he has met in his life either in Konohakagure or in Japan suddenly appeared in his mind... that time he decided that he must live, to show that what is the meaning of being the strongest samurai ever in the history...

I cannot afford to lose...

I have to protect the weaks and innocents...

I must stay alive...

Must stay alive...

Must stay alive...

I MUST STAY ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!

AMAKAKERU RYUNOHIRAMEKI!!!!! Let the dragon choose who will win this final fight!!!!!

K-changgggg!!!!!!!

* * *

Saitou and Yoshinobu are in disbelief of what they have watched just now... that's the true power of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu!!!! 

"Saitou, how can you have a stalemate during your fights with him during these past days?? I can't even fight against this ultimate technique even though I've think in various ways..."

"... that's incredible... so powerful for a humble hitokiri just like Himura...", Saitou replies back.

* * *

Both of the samurai stop their pace and stands in battou-jutsu stance... then Kenshin speaks, in a glad voice. 

"Naruto-kun, why do you reduce your power?? You should treat sessha just like your enemies... look at sessha now, just a long scratch on sessha's chest and a torn piece of hakama..."

"Sensei, you're not my enemy at all, that's why I reduce my power... I just want you to live to witness my achievement and atone for the souls you've killed..."

"Ha ha ha... Naruto-kun..", Kenshin chuckles as he give Naruto's Nagasone Kotetsu and the scabbard of his sword to him.

"Here's your sword... and as an acknowledgement for you who have mastered Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu sword technique, today sessha give you sessha's sakaba-tou, sessha means sessha's reversed-blade sword "Shinuchi".. hope you will keep it and use it to protect the weak and innocents... do you know does it means when a samurai give his beloved sword to you?"

Naruto nearly cries as he received Kenshin's most valuable sword, which the meanings are the deepest to him.

"Yes, sensei... you must have put the whole of your trust on me in your Shinuchi...", Naruto replies back.

"No... Naruto-kun..."

"Eh..?"

"Sessha will always trust you even if sessha don't give Shinuchi to you... but now, sessha gives Shinuchi to you as an honour for you as you have mastered Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu... from now on don't call yourself a ninja, but you must claim with honour and dignity that you're a trully samurai... remember about what sessha has been telling you about the code of the samurai?"

"Yes, Bushido..."

Suddenly, a voice has been heard not far from the training site.

"Honesty, Pride, Dignity, Wisdom, Awareness, Calm, Spirit... don't you ever forget that... ".

"Saitou-kun, Yoshinobu-kun!!!", Naruto speaks as he turnis his head towards them.

"Hey, brat... remember these phrases and applicate them into your life... Aku, Zaku, Zan!!!", Saitou tells Naruto the words that have been his principles since the first day he joined the Shinsen Gumi.

"Slay the evil instantly... the Shinsen Gumi Code of Ethics... uphold the justice, slay the evil, protect the innocent citizens... I will keep them in my heart, I promise Saitou-kun!!!", Naruto says just a second before Yoshinobu interrupts their serious conversations.

"Okay, guys!!! We will celebrate Naruto-kun's success by organizing a party in Shirobeko!!!! Sake, women and..."

"Cigarette... I don't drink alcohols and I will continue the party myself with my own Tokio, during midnight...", Saitou adds in a relax tone.

- What the f... -

"Hey, come on... do pity on us... Kenshin have Kaoru-dono, they can do it after the party ends... what about me?? I need a hot girl... and some sake, too!!!"

- Is this the real life of one of the most famous Hitokiri in Japan??? -

"Yoshi-kun... I think an average party is enough...", Naruto tries to comfort Yoshinobu but later interrupt by Yoshinobu, himself.

"Naruto-kun, sake is samurai's life, and they are extremely tasty, too!!"

The surroundings become silent, with all eyes glare towards Yoshinobu.

Kenshin : I swear I'll kill you if you dare to give Naruto-kun, even a cup of sake!!! You're trully the example of an immoral samurai, for sure...

Saitou : **Fool** plus **ahou** plus **dumbass** plus **crazy** plus **immoral** plus **baka** plus **bagero**... equals to Yoshinobu the stupid wolf... you deserved that well!!!

Naruto : I won't need any sake or hot women... I prefer cigarettes more, to be honest... they're cools, just like Saitou-kun himself...

Kenshin : What the fuck, man??! There goes sessha's baka-deshi again... Saitou-kun!!! Sessha must kill a smoking devil just like you!!!

Saitou : Ha Ha Ha... your too-kind role model goes nothing for him... Yeah that's good, Naruto... spend an hour with me and we'll learn the art of smoking together... oh, here's a cigarette, a quickstart for you to live a cool man's life...

Naruto : The cigarette brand?

Kenshin : Saitou...

Saitou : Alfred Dunhill's Filter Deluxe cigarette... you can only find these high-quality cigarette in Kyoto... the price?? Only 7400 yen and you will taste the finest tobacco of your life...

Kenshin : Saitou...

Naruto : Oh, that's too great... at least I've to by about 20 packs, ammunition purpose...

Saitou : Good, that's my wolf brat...

Kenshin : Sessha afraid sessha have to kill you... You have taught a 17 years old boy to smoke!!!!! Who the hell do you think you're??!! Draw your sword, Saitou!!!!

Saitou : Try me, Morality-Lecturer wannabe!!!! If you have Amakakeru Ryunohirameki, I still have my Gatotsu - Ziroushiki!!!! Bring it on, redhead!!!!

Naruto : ...

Yoshinobu : Here we go again... a fight between a cute-redhead and a too-heavy smoker will begin in anytime... okay, the bet table will now open!!!!

- People think that the samurai are heartless, yet they still have time to fool themselves around... -

* * *

That night, after some small party by Kenshin-gumi plus The Demons of Tokugawa, Naruto slowly get up and announces a shocking decision. 

"Thanks for your concerns towards me, but I'm afraid I have to continue my journey... just now, I have discuss about with Saitou-kun about it, and I think that my power is needed to help the innocents of Sapporo War between Satsuma Rebels and government soldiers... :", Naruto speaks once he is ready to continue his journey again.

"Hei... hei ... hei... what's the hurry??", the group suddenly voice.

"I just don't know... just following my instinct..."

"If you follows what that spider's legs-haired just told you, then you better jump into the hell pit... his words has no use at all...", Sanosuke sighs.

"Fuck you, chicken... just admit that you have no idea about my discuss with Naruto, not to be such an arrogant but stupid lil chicken...", Saitou protests but in a calm voice.

"Why you...!!!", Sanosuke has just going to ruin the party before Kenshin immediately stops him.

"Hei, Kankyo Kanashii... better to call you by that name from now on... good luck!!! don't forget to change your hairstyle and colour, okay??!!", the group bid Naruto a farewell before he starts wandering again.

"Okay, friends... Yoshi-kun, Saitou-kun, Kenshin -sensei, we'll meet in Konohakagure!!! That time I will help all of you to gain the peace treaty agreement between Japan and Konohakagure!!! Bye, Minna-san!!! Don't forget to pay me a visit in Konohakagure!!!"

"Bye, Kanashii... we'll surely meet again..."

"Bye, Kenshin-sensei.. and thanks for everything..."

* * *

Just a week before The Demons Of Tokugawa and Tochimiko Okubo, Japanese Internal Affair minister departed to Japan, they were surprised to hear that all of Satsuma rebels have been slaughtered in a big war near Sapporo, yesterday. 700 of them had been slaughtered by a person who has a brown-greyish coloured hair and ponytail hairstyle, by the name of Kankyo Kanashii the Shadow Hitokiri, the successor of the title of Battousai Hitokiri. 

-End of Chapter 3 -

* * *

- the main hint for chapter 4 : 

1 - Kanashii has come back to Konohakagure, without any Konoha ninja knowing that he's actually Naruto

2 - Jiraiya is a lil bit curious about Kanashii's background

3 - Things get messed up when Hyuuga Family decide to challenge Kanashii into a duel, to discover the secret of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu

4 - Kakashi-sensei knows the true identity of Kanashii, finally

that's all for now... thanks for giving me supports!!!

Stay tune for Chapter 4 - True Colours


	5. Chapter 4 : True Colours

**Anthem Of My Dying Days**

Aunthor's Note :

- Yeah, finally Naruto reaches his final destination, but without any boast-off introduction at the main Gate of Konoha Village, or shouting "Finally, I've come back to Konoha!!!" while standing on electricity pole.

- Thanks everybody for giving me supports and huge inspirations... Thanks!!!!

- ermmm, why don't we start calling Naruto as Kanashii in this chapter, since that is his new name... so, don't get confused, okay???

* * *

Episode 4 - True Colours

After 2 weeks of walking, finally Kanashii reaches Konoha Village, a village that once had watched his discriminations, the despair, the sadness that burdened him until the day he fled away to Japan. He stops his pace in front of the main gate of Konoha and whispers a few words that he used to shout everytime he came back from a ninja mission four years ago...

"Konoha, I've come back...", in a sad and cruel monotone voice, he whispers.

A village that bring sad and joy memories into his mind, that is Konoha. The place where he used to face prejudices, hatred and rage of the people, besides knowing the true meanings of family and friends. But that is just a piece of his life's history. And according the words of philosophers, history will be remained as history... nobody can change them, and finally they will be forgotten.. just like the dry leaves which turned into dust after being blew by a strong wind. People sometimes remembers history, but after a long time they will forget them, as history will be replaced by new past incidents and moments.

"No samurai allowed to step further into Konoha... I'm sorry, sir...", a female jounin suddenly halts Kanashii's pace.

"Sorry for causing you a bit trouble... I'm a wanderer, I have to stop here and find at least some foods or maybe a hotel for me to stay before the sky gets dark..", Kanashii replies in usual tone.

Kanashii has no problems in hiding his chakura since he never use them during his sword-training, nor during sword-fighting with any enemies. His Kyuubi seems prefer hibernating all the time, rather than hepling him just like the old days. To him, chakura is just another pathetic tricks of the ninja to show the people that they're amazing and stronger than the samurai.

"Hei, Ino... give him a chance, will ya?? he's a poor wanderer, just have a look on his appearance... torn clothes, two old swords and a cheap-old fashioned looking long coat... ", a pink-haired female jounin quickly interrupts her.

"Anyway miss, I'm sorry to say that I've just come back from some fierce battlefields in Japan... That's why my clothes are have many holes and torns. However, don't you ever simply insult my long coat... Yoshinobu Tokugawa, one of the Demons of Tokugawa gave this coat to me...", Naruto lays a smack to shut both jounins' mouths, although it is just for a while.

"What is your name, samurai-san??",Ino asks, curious about Kanashii's personality.

Silence conquers the surrounding for several minutes, before Kanashii answers her question, with a shocking answer.

"Kanashii... Kankyo Kanashii, Ishin Shishi no Hitokiri... otherwise, known as the Shadow Hitokiri... ".

"What the hell..?", Sakura shouts, nearly-histerical just to found that the Shadow Hitokiri who slaughtered almost 700 rebels in Sapporo, Japan is just an 18 years old brown-greyish haired pale-looking boy.

Both female jounin glare carefully towards Kanashii, looking for something suspicious about the wanderer.

The presence of Kakashi the famous copy-cat ninja makes things even worser than before.

"Hello there, girls... what do we have here... a samurai, possessing two swords, a long coat with a small Tokugawa emblem in the right shoulder... How are you, Kanashii?? Having fun of slaughtering enemies, huh??", Kakashi greets Kanashii, in a quite harsh way.

"Not so fun, since they are only a bunch of weaklings... but in case if you want to, I will glad to have a fight with you, and finally slay you into small pieces...", Naruto replies back, while increasing his Ki and snap his glare into Kakashi, which Kakashi realizes that he is now dealing with a heartless immortal ferocious manslayer, which anytime will slit his throat and separate his body into two half, at least.

Kakashi feels something strange about Kanashii, especially his eyes. Kanashii's eyes reminds Kakashi of his bold-haired student, which ran away to Japan to search for power and to achieve his dream, to be the strongest. But Kakashi never denies his own abilities of sensing chakura, where that time he has sensed Kanashii's red chakura, and finally discovers the true identity of Kanashii. However, Kakashi never tells anyone about it, since he feels that Kanashii should be alone by himself to choose the path that he want to follow.

"You should rent a hotel for tonight, since the sky is getting dark... there will be raining cats and dogs tonight, I guess", Kakashi tells Kanashiibefore he dissappears from Kanashii's sight.

"Ceh, do you think I don't have any house in Konoha? Tonight I will stay in my own house, which left it for 4 years already...", Kanashii whispers in an usual tone.

* * *

The news of Kanashii enters Konoha has been spread widely among the ninjas of Konoha, and the news attracts most of teenage jounins, which hope to see the famous Shadow Hitokiri from near distance. 

As usual, Rock Lee, Neji and Tenten walk into Ichiraku Ramen stall after practising Taijutsu, when they are shocked to see Kanashii, eating ramen in the stall. Kanashii has leaned two samurai swords beside him, which attract the eyes of Tenten, the professional user of every martial arts weaponry. They take a seat beside Kanashii, and Neji starts the conversation by asking a question to Kanashii.

"A samurai, aren't you?".

"Yes... I'm a samurai...from Japan.", Kanashii replies back, with a Dunhill cigarette on his lips, ready to be lighten.

"Your age? I don't think that you're as skillful as the 18 years old Shadow Hitokiri, and you just bring swords to scare people... am I right??" , Neji tries to underestimate the young samurai, which after that he receives a a smokes blow on his face by Kanashii.

"Actually I'm Kankyo Kanashii the Shadow Hitokiri, Hyuuga brat... trying to underestimate me, heh? Please, I beg you not to destroy my nice mood to smoke today or else I will annihilate you and your mother-fuckin' Hyuuga Family...", Kanashii replies back, in usual tone and followed by a big laugh...

"Why you...!!!", Neji prepares in his Kaiten stance, exactly the same time when he saw Kanashii with full god-like speed drawing his sword towards his throat.

Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Battou-jutsu..., Kanashii whispers into Neji's left ear.

That time Ichiraku Ramen stall is filled only with silences, as Kanashii's Nagasone Kotetsu are already on Neji's throat, waiting to slit Neji's throat and ends his life forever.

What the fuck...? This lame samurai is actually faster than me, even more faster than Hiashi-sama!!!, Neji thinks as he slowly pays a glance on Kanashii's sword on his throat.

"So, do you want me to end your life here forever... or to let you alive? I think an arrogant but foolish boy just like you shouldn't allowed to be alive, since you will only cause trouble to others... maybe some weak Hyuuga families have strength to stay alive in this era, but all of you will surely die not more than 5 seconds if you're living in Japan during Bakumatsu era...", Kanashii says as he slowly drive his sword back into the scabbard.

"...", Neji clenches his fist as he couldn't dare to say anything, or lift his head against Kanashii. His face turns pale, with some sweats running down through his cheek and neck.

Tenten watch the whole incidents seriously, to discover that now she has encounter a pretty-badass samurai who can easily defeat her in any fights, for sure.

"Anyway, Kanashii-kun... Can you tells us everything about Japan during Bakumatsu era? I have heard the rumours that Bakumatsu era is an era where the Three Demons Of Tokugawa reigned the streets, creating blood storms and blood rivers... Cool!!!", Rock Lee tries to change the topic just before Kanashii starts his pace, leaving the stall.

"Bakumatsu era... don't ask me, just ask The Three Demons Of Tokugawa by yourself when they come to Konoha to meet Tsunade-sama, maybe next week I guess...", Naruto replies.

What the...!!? The Three Demons Of Tokugawa are arriving in Konoha next week??!! What will they be doing here??!, Neji whispers to himself.

"Hey, samurai-san!!! Are you among the successors of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu? Your techniques seems just like Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu...", Tenten asks, with curious and envy feelings to know Kanashii have surpassed her as taijutsu and weaponry master, yet Kanashii is a samurai, not ninja as her.

Kanashii slowly lays a glance on her before answers with an idiot answer.

"... I don't know...", Kanashii replies with annoyed tone, as he slowly light another cigarette before continuing his walk to his abandoned apartment.

- End of Episode 4 -

* * *

Author's note : 

- Huarggh, my head feels dizzy... maybe just because I've drink to many sake last night...

- My cigarette stock is getting fewer and fewer... no money, no cigarette... have to continue living a poor life happily...

- Stay tune for next episode 5 - Wonderwall

- Some hint for episode 5 - Tsunade discovers the secret identity of Kanashii (Naruto) and reveals it in front of Kanashii's former comrades e.g - Kiba, Hinata, Rock Lee, Neji, Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru, Tenten, Shino, Chouji and Sai.


	6. Chapter 5 : Wonderwall

**Anthem Of My Dying Days**

Author's Note

- Thank everybody for your review... they certainly help me in generating more ideas effectively... Arigatou Gozaimasu, Minna-san!!!!

- To Hyuuga-sama... first off all, thanks for reading my fanfic. Okay, time to answer your brilliant question!!! At first I think that Naruto's new hair will be long and quite spiky with a pony-tail hairstyle just like Jiraiya, but then my friend suggest that I should bring some differences, not just bounded within Naruto's original manga only. So I decided to make Naruto's hair quite spiky and long just like the 4th Hokage, Arashi's hair, but with a pony-tail just like Kenshin Himura Battousai version or even more cunning, Saitou Hajime Shinsen Gumi version. After all, now Naruto is a samurai, right??

-This chapter will serves more action-packed scenes, just like the meeting between Kanashii (Naruto) and Hyuuga Hiashi in Hyuuga Mansion, the arrival of The Japanese delegacy and the fighting scene between Kakashi and his team 7 (Sakura and Sai) against Kanashii... yes, the clash of techniques, skills, beliefs and determination which makes the samurai completely different from ninja.

Okay, enough for author's note... let's head back to our main event!!!

* * *

Episode 5 -Wonderwall

That night is the most relaxing night that Kanashii ever feels, without many things to do... just keep on smoking, drinking sake, smoking and drinking sake again. who don't want to have a peaceful night... smoking and drinking sake while watching the bright stars on the sky. After having a quite sorrowful life of merciless killing and slaughtering in order to protect the weaks and innocents, Kanashii feels that this time is the most perfect time for him to rest before heading to another next big battle, the battle with the Akatsuki which hunted him for a long-long time. He remembers every phrases that Saitou had spat out during Saitou's conversation with Kenshin, before Kenshin started teaching Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu to him.

(flashback)

* * *

"Battousai, I think you should reconsider back your decision to teach Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu to that brat... your life has miserably ruined by this technique, along with you naive thinking of protecting the weak and innocent..." 

"Miburo No Ookami Saitou Hajime, since when do you start lecturing sessha about sessha's own past?? Do you forget about our presence as a nemesis, you with your own principle of Seitosa (Justice) and Makoto (Honesty), while sessha with sessha's principle to protect the weak and innocent lives of citizens? Please give the boy a chance to correct things become as usual, if he wants power, strength and acknowledgement, then so be it..."

"Yes Battousai, of course I remember... but after all, we have achieve this far beyond our limits with the courtesy of our strong principles... Do you ever think that does the brat have a strong reason to live just like the way we live according to our strong principles? Battousai, I don't like to argue about anything with you, since both of us have a clear perception of this matter..."

"Sessha is pretty sure that Naruto-kun will not end up his life by following the dark path that Yoshinobu-kun follows..."

"Battousai, don't be so sure about it... Even Yoshinobu which have the strongest will to survive than any of us followed the dark path all by himself... Isn't it obvious? Modified the ordinary Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu into another scary and horror Dark Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, kill people according to his principles of the strongest will survive, the weak will vanish, he is as same as your successor Makoto Shishio... and I have the same feelings that the Kyuubi brat will follow him..."

"Well, Saitou... We should follow what sessha's leader Kogoro Katsura said, let the person choose the path he has destined to choose..."

"Even though I have a hard feeling about this, I still admit that you're right about it, let he be what he want to be..."

"Thanks, Saitou... You're the most kind arch-enemy sessha have ever know... It's sessha's luck to cross-sword with you during our previous days and now, being in the same team with you is an honour for sessha..."

"Your words make me sick, foolish Battousai..."

"Ha ha ha... Saitou Saitou, still cold-hearted as ever..."

* * *

(end of flashback) 

Yes, Kanashii admit that he is far away from his usual attitude during his previous days in Konoha. Being a cold-hearted and ferocious hitokiri is not a good option for him to accept, but he never regret of being what he is now. Moreover, this is the best remedy for him to cure the big hole of sadness and despair in his heart. There is no use of him to correct the perception of Konoha villagers towards him, although he tries everything to solve these problems. Yet, still there are some of his comrades who discriminate and never appreciate what have he done for the sake of Konoha. Then, his decision towards these problems are... let the dragon choose its own path. Let the universe lives in their own ways... so be it.

Kanashii are still meditating, making his way deep into his heart and feelings until he hears somebody knock his apartment's door. He quickly stands up and walk slowly to the door before opens it.

"Yes, sir... What can I do for you?"

He sees an Anbu, wearing a dog mask standing before he hears something irritating from the Anbu's lips.

"You, the 5th Hokage wishes to meet you now... come with me."

He slips his Nagasone Kotetsu and Shinuchi on his hip before he locks his apartment. Both of them make their way to he Hokage office, not far from his apartment.

* * *

As soon as he reaches Hokage's office, he makes his way to the front door of Hokage office before he enters the room without any hesitation at all. But still he aware of the possibilities he may face when he enters the room. 

He sees many of his comrades gather in front of hokage desk. Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru, Sai, Ino, Rock Lee, Shouji, Neji, Tenten and lastly Sakura. He also sees Tsunade-bachan, sitting on her office chair waiting for him.

All of the eyes in the rooms pay attention to Kanashii when he enters the room and make his way to the front of Hokage desk.

"Yes, Hokage... How may I help you?"

Tsunade starts the conversation by asking him a simple question, that shocks everybody in the room.

"Why do you leave Konoha??"

He replies the question with a smirk.

"Who had left Konoha?? Don't ask any foolish question or I will completely end your miserable life here..."

"Kankyo Kanashii, as an honourable samurai you should have at least a piece of honesty in your heart..."

"Don't speak to me as you understand the life of a samurai better than me... Hokage!!!", Kanashii fills the room with dark Ki, the strong desire to kill. Everybody in the room feels the dark Ki, with a huge of frightened feelings in their heart, hoping that the Shadow Hitokiri wouldn't kill them.

"I"ve crossed-swords many times with your Demons of Tokugawa... Kenshin Himura Battousai, Miburo Saitou Hajime and Shoki de Nai Yoshinobu Tokugawa... Based on their own bushido, of course I understand the life of a samurai perfectly..."

"Yeah, mumbling and mumbling about your past achievement as a pathetic Sannin... don't make me laugh at your face, Hokage... Himura Battousai is the one who taught me the art of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Saitou Hajime as well as Yoshinobu Tokugawa always stand in the front line with me, fighting against Meiji rebels in almost 57 battles so far..."

Kanishii's statement surprises everybody in the room, especially Neji, Rock Lee and Tenten as the most powerful taijutsu practitioner in Konoha.

"You never tell me about this, since our first meet at Ichiraku Ramen stall... My family has searched for Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu technique for 20 years, and you're so selfish to share it with us...", Tenten interrupt the conversation as she shouted half-histerically towards Kanashii.

"I hold the principles of Tokugawa Ieyasu, never teach any ninja anything about swordmanship... especially Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu... Do you want me to teach you the 200 years old since Edo period sacred technique just to make me feel ashame of myself, for teaching a ninja Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu??! No, no, no... not at all... go to hell with your request!!!!"

The words silence the whole ninja in the Hokage office.

"For your information, Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu is not just the art of sword-wielding technique or some lame taijutsu that all of you have learnt before... It is the art of killing for sure... The history of Japan had proven that Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu are the 'black sword' which can be used to strengthen a government or to topple a governmnet, because they possessed full power and strength that sometimes just a sweet dream for other samurai... Kenshin Himura Battousai is the best example... you can see on how he earn the legendary Battousai title... Battousai title stands for a hitokiri who can kill people by wielding his sword in great god-like speed..."

"How can't a ninja learn the art of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu sword technique... You're selfish!!!! You just don't want others to surpass you, isn't it?!?!", Tenten replies back, in a harsh tone.

"Its not that I'm selfish... but you're the one who is too weak to earn the name of Seijyuro Hiko (title for those who inherit Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu)... in other words, you're too weak to possess the title of a samurai..." Kanashii objects, but in a mocking tone.

Tenten feels extremely ashamed, while clenches her own fists very hard. That is her first failure as a weaponry master and she feels like she has humiliated her own honourable family name.

Kanashii changes his direction to Tsunade, which has observed him carefully, from hair to legs.

Tsunade has been waiting for a long time to ask the question, the question which haunted her since the day Kanashii walked into Konoha. The images of Uzumaki Naruto kept on haunting her, while her heart instinct tells her that Kankyo Kanashii is actually the real Uzumaki Naruto.

But this hitokiri seems totally different from Naruto, the way he speaks, the way he condemns people... it seems so calm and full of wisdom. Kanashii is rather more relax and calm looking person than Naruto, who keeps on boast-off, loud-speaking, and being a nuissance to others at all.

"Hei hitokiri-san, I have a question for you, I hope you'll answer it honestly... Pkease, I'm begging you..."

"... go on, Hokage..."

"Are you actually... Uzumaki Naruto???"

All of the ninja in the Hokage ofice are eagerly waiting for the answer, until they receive a big smackdown when Kanashii answers the question after being silent for a minute.

"Tsunade-bachan... I thought you will be forgetting me after these four years... the search for power had made my way to Japan... my answer for your question is,... Yes, I'm Uzumaki Naruto..."

What the hell...?? Is he actually Uzumaki Naruto???, Sakura thinks as she hears the answer in disbelief.

The environment in the Hokage office become noisy as the jounin hear some sobbing sounds from the Hokage herself. But still Naruto still acting so calm and undisturbed by the noisy surroundings.

"Naruto... why are you running away to Japan?? I've try my best to find you but I couldn't, thanks to your Demons of Tokugawa... they hid everything about you from us...", Tsunade asks, in sobbing voice.

"Don't you hear what I've said just now?? the search for power and strength had made my way to Japan... After failed in my mission to retrieve that fuckin' Sasuke, I felt that I'm not destined to be a ninja...", Naruto starts his words of despair and sadness.

"Love and friendship means nothing to me... This village had stolen everything from me, all I have now is sadness and despair... and the cure for this disease is to kill without mercy, in order to survive as the strongest of all samurai..."

Sakura instantly objects the words from Naruto,"You always says that you're lucky to have friends like us... where is your words?? Even though the villagers hate you, but we still happy to have friends just like you since you have done much to make us happy!!!".

Naruto chuckles in a slow tone, but later gives a crazy big laugh.

"All of you means nothing except for a disturbance to me... I don't need anthing from you... Love, friendship, they're bullshit, you know... bulshit!!! As long as I have my precious Shinuchi, my Nagasone Kotetsu and my cigarettes with me, everything is just fine for me..."

"Naruto, I will not forgive you for that!!! You have made our heart broken twice, now you make everything harder for Hokage-sama!!!", Kiba finally voices, in a harsh tone.

Tsunade's tears running wildly over her cheek. She doesn't figure what have changed Naruto to be just like that, cruel and heartless. She taught Naruto about love, friendship and family bonds... but what she recieve from her so-called brother now is hatred, sadness, despair and a strong lust to kill.

"Don't make me laugh, you pathetic dog... hold on for a second, let me smoke first...", Naruto put his cigarette on his lips before he light it.

"Naruto... I remember that day, when you talking loudly about your dream to be the strongest ninja and finally be a Hokage... where is your dream???", Tsunade asks, in a sad slow tone.

"Good question, Tsunade-bachan... Now I've power and strength as a samurai, why must I return back to my previous way, to be a ninja??? I'm happy to be alone in the dark, killing and slaughtering enemies... what an enjoyable moment..".

"Do you consider yourself now... alone?"

"Yes..."

"What about your dream to be Hokage?"

Naruto silents for a minute before he answers in a simple answer.

"To these pathetic nins of yours, Hokage means power... but to me, it means nothing... Now I have the title of Shadow Hitokiri, the successor of Hitokiri Battousai... that means the title of Hokage is no longer my dream..."

The environment in the office become noisy with Sakura crying, while others try to comfort Sakura.

"Naruto... please come back... I beg you... please!!! don't you feel pity of your comrades?? they don't expect you to be such a heartless hitokiri just like the Three Demons of Tokugawa...", Tsunade begs Naruto to be himself back.

"I'm sorry, your request is impossible... I'm afraid I can't fulfill your request...", Naruto replies back, in his calm tone while exhales out the cigarette smokes.

This time Tsunade admits that Jiraiya's news about Naruto is absolutely true. He isn't Naruto anymore, but a heartless hitokiri who possesses huge enormous feelings of sadness and despair in his heart. Everything tumbled down one final time, and she struggled to find the energy to speak.

"You may leave now... Naruto."

Without feeling guilty, Naruto steadily walks pass his former comrades as he is stopped by Sai, his former comrade in team 7.

"There's no way I can change you back into your normal attitude before... a free man has the right to choose his path of life...", Sai tries to speak.

"Let the dragon choose its own ways of life...", Naruto voices, cold-hearted as he walks calmly towards the front door.

Tsunade sat unmoving, her heart burdened more than in anytime in her life. She hoped to find the lovable prankster that she knew today. She was wrong, only finding a faint ghost of a person she now barely knew.

The tears came steadily, tiny drops at first before becoming torrents of salty pearls. She cried, the first time since he disappeared, knowing at last, that Naruto was truly gone, to be replaced by a demon by the name of Kankyo Kanshii which means the 'Sad Surroundings'.

Hinata tries to hide her heart-broken feelings but she couldn't. her tears rushing as she barely watch Naruto walks pass her, without even lay any single eyes on her. All of Naruto's former comrades realizes that Hinata had a crush on Naruto, and her feelings has been crushed into pieces, to know that Naruto isn't the energetic boy that she ever loved.

Naruto watch the Hokage office from the street where he start his way back to his apartment, while inhaling the last package of smoke from the cigarette before he throws away the cigarette.

"I'm sorry, Tsunade-bachan... but you must accept the way I am now... I have adapted the ways of the samurai in my life, and I must uphold the principles in order to survive... hope you'll understand.", he whispers before he continue his way back home.

- end of Episode 5 -

* * *

Author's note 

- The sad elements are conquering this chapter... beware!!

- Stay tune for Episode 6 - Good Morning Revival

- Hint for episode 6 - Naruto meets his former ninja comrades while he is eating in Ichiraku Ramen stall...


	7. Chapter 6 : Good Morning Revival

**Anthem Of My Dying Days**

Author's Note

- Thanks everybody for for your precious supports... they certainly motivate me very much!!!

- Don't worry, Lighting-Squall, this chapter will consist of many fighting scenes such as the first encounter between the Akatsuki and Naruto

- Questionnaire - Okay LIL T273, Naruto will stay that way forever, following the his principles of "dare to sacrifice everything in order to achieve your dream"... but he will become more soft and well-considering the wishes of his former comrades which to become as usual... He will become more nice and kind to his former comrades in Konoha, but he will not change his appearance and his attitudes, which means that he is still that badass.

- The Three Demons of Tokugawa will appear in this chapter, but I'm still thinking of whether I should make Sasuke appear in another chapter or not...

Okay, back to our story...

* * *

Episode 6 - Good Morning Revival

Having a good sleep last night really enjoys Naruto a lot. This is the first time he had a good sleep, since the day he finished his training with Kenshin Himura and started his way to fight against the Meiji rebels in Hakodate, Tokyo (Edo), Kyoto, Anzu, Edowara and finally Sapporo. He wakes up early and take a bath before he wears the long coat which was given by Yoshinobu just after he completed his training with Kenshin.

* * *

(Flashback)

"Uzumaki, what technique do you learn today?" Yoshinobu asked Naruto, after completed his training with Kenshin.

"Amakakeru Ryu No Hirameki... Yoshinobu-kun... Wow, you do have a beautiful long coat, do you realise??", Naruto replied back, pointing his finger to Yoshinobu's long coat.

"This long coat, Uzumaki, has a long history behind it... It is the first long coat that has been worn by my great-grandfather, Ieyasu Tokugawa-sama which established Tokugawa Shogunate 400 years ago... this long coat has been passed through generations to the brave samurai which is only from Tokugawa Family. I really don't remembered on how this long coat had been passed to me, since I don't own any great records just like the long coat's past wearer... hmmm..."

"Maybe it's because you totally deserved it well... who says that you don't achieve great things during your past days... in fact, you have fought well for to defend your family's precious properties... Don't ever blame yourself because of that...".

"Yeah, I do think so... thanks for having such a big trust on me, even my family says that I'm a worthless child... anyway, here. This long coat is for you... my present... take it!!!"

The silence conquered the environment before Naruto replied in a loud tone.

"Nani??? you wanna give me this long coat?? well, I don't deserve to wear this noble coat..."

"Take it... consider it as Yoshinobu's gift to his small brother who is going to continue his fight to defend the principle's of Tokugawa Family...", Yoshinobu says as he gave the long coat to Naruto.

"Yoshinobu-kun... Thanks...", Naruto said, as he tried to stop his tears from dripping wet.

"Take care of it properly... Don't ever let anybody insult this long coat... You must be proud of it, since now you're a part of Tokugawa Noble Family...You're now even greater than any famous families in Konoha such as Hyuuga family, Uchiha Family, Aburame Family or even Nara Family...", Yoshinobu add, while showing a proud and arrogant face, maybe feeling proud of his family status in Japan, which is even more noble than the Imperial Family themselves.

"Yes, I will remember that...", Naruto replied back while wearing the long coat.

(end of flashback)

* * *

The long coat itself has a big history behind it, which is the long coat which has a Tokugawa emblem sewed on its left shoulder, has been inherited by the generations of Tokugawa family for 400 years. It was given to the most brave samurai of Tokugawa Family in their era such as Ieyasu Tokugawa, the founder of Tokugawa Shogunate government himself, Yoshitora Tokugawa, Kaneda Tokugawa, Hideki Tokugawa and finally their last descendant, Yoshinobu Tokugawa before Yoshinobu gave the long coat to Naruto, as a symbol of his appointment as a samurai. That means Yoshinobu already considered Naruto as a part of his noble family and had sworn to protect him in any ways from unintened opposers.

Slowly Naruto wears his long coat, before he slips his swords on his hip. He made his way out from his apartment to Ichiraku Ramen stall. Along his walk to Ichiraku Ramen, he's thinking about what do his comrades in Japan prefer to do in this morning.

"Bleah, Saitou-kun is always with his favourite Soba and his Dunhill, while Yoshinobu-kun likes to start his morning with a cup of Sake. Kenshin-sensei on the other hand prefers eating only some rice-ball... what a humble hitokiri", Naruto thinks to himself.

After a few minutes of walking, finally he reaches Ichiraku Ramen stall.

He sits down and leans his swords to his side, and orders for a big bowl of beef-ramen. Then, he slowly lights his cigarette before he views the environment of the busy streets, watching various behaviors of human beings that morning. Some are just saring on him, while others start gossiping about him.

"This pathetic villagers need a few teaching of not to say anything bad about strangers...", he whispers as he slowly exhale the smokes to the air.

Suddenly, some group of jounins snaps his attention. They are consist of Sakura, Ino, Hinata, Kiba, Shikamaru, Chouji, Neji, Tenten and Rock Lee.

They will ignore me, if I don't make any silly move that will attract their attentions... be a good citizen, Naruto..., he thinks as the jounin group walk towards Ichiraku Ramen.

Meanwhile, the jounin group make a noisy environment as they reaches the stall.

"Sakura, please treat me with a big bowl of ramen... will ya??"

"Oh hell no!!! I've a few money left... why don't you ask Shikamaru to treat you??"

"Okay, Ino... I'll treat you today... erghh, girls!!! It' hard to understand what they are thinking..."

The environment becomes silent when the stall owner hand over a big bowl of beef-ramen to Naruto.

"Here you are, Naruto... You haven't changed a lot since the day you went to Japan, isn't it?? Still loving ramen... ha ha..", the stall owner says.

"yes, oji-san... I still remember the tasty ramen of yours... It's totally delicious, compared to Japanese Ramen...", Naruto replies back.

After a few minutes eating ramen, Naruto slowly lights another cigarette and start drinking his red tea. His style of drinking the red tea amazed the jounin group.

"Wow, his movement is full of art... gracefully, polite and carefully... unlike himself during his ninja days, full of harsh and impatient action...", Ino slowly talks to Sakura as they lay their eyes completely on Naruto.

With his eyes staring to the front of the table, Naruto carefully starts his conversation with the jounin group in order not to hurt their feelings, after the incidents last night.

"It's nice to meet all of you here... Konoha jounins..."

"Yeah, it's nice to meet you too... Nippon samurai... having a breakfast here?", Shikamaru greets with a lazy tone.

"yes...", Naaruto replies back.

"Excuse me, I have to go...If all of you want to meet me, I will be training in Konoha taijutsu training field...", Naruto stands up and strat his pace when Sakura grab his shoulder.

"Yes... What can I do for you??", Naruto still in calm position while continuing smoking. The jounin group are shocked to see that Naruto is still acting calm, even though in front of him is Sakura, the successor of Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin.

"I need the best answer for this... otherwise, I hit you hard, you got that??! What do you think you're? Abandoning us, your former comrades as we're just like a form of trash to you??? Answwer that!!!", Sakura shouts towards Naruto.

But then, Naruto yet still acting calm and after that, he burst out in laughter...

" HA HA HA HA!!!! Who are all of you anyway?? Tell me!!! Please, tell me!!! Do we know each other??", Naruto answers in his usual mocking tone.

Dushhhhhh!!!!

Sakura's fist lands violently on Naruto's cheek, but Naruto is still standing steadily, grinning which surprised and frightened the whole jounin group.

"You're quite powerful, but only for this era in Konoha where people here live in harmony and peace only... If you're living with this power in Kyoto during Bakumatsu era, you will cannot live for at least more than 5 seconds, for sure... I'm sure you will be killed violently...," Naruto says, grinning.

He's repeating these words again, Neji thinks in his mind.

"What do you say, Naruto?? I can't believe you can survive my attack, since I've sealed all of my destruction chakura all around my fist!!!", Sakura shouting half-histerically in disbelief, to see that his attack not even knock Naruto down to the ground.

"IF YOU LIVE WITH YOUR RECENT POWER IN KYOTO DURING BAKUMATSU ERA, YOU WILL BE DEAD AS SOON AS YOU MAKE YOUR WAY OUT FROM YOUR HOUSE!!!", Naruto shouts while releasing his dark Ki and gripping his Shinuchi.

That time Sakura feels a strong hit on her waist for two times in a great god-like speed, just before she kneels down painfully, in front of Naruto. The group of jounin are standing numb, just to watch the incident happened with their own naked-eyes.

"Hiten Mitsurugi, Double Battou-jutsu...", slowly Naruto whispers into Sakura's ear.

"How dare you attack Sakura??! She's your former teammate, do you know that??", Shikamaru voices out loudly.

"I will kill those who attack me and will I have no mercy towards them no matter who they are... that's how I'm dealing with my enemies, for sure...", Naruto grins before he unsheathes his Nagasone Kotetsu.

"Naruto...", Sakura forces herself to speak, while trying to heal his pain.

"Sakura, you should thank me for sparing your life just now... what can you do if I slashed you into pieces just now??" Naruto speaks, showing his precious Nagasone Kotetsu to the face of Sakura.

"Naruto, you bastard!!! Last night you hurted Tsunade-sama's feelings, now you attacked Sakura and tries to kill her!!! What kind of human being are you??", Ino shouted as she jumps to attack Naruto.

"Becareful, all of you!!! the Akatsuki is here now!!!", Naruto tries to warn the jounin group as he sees at least 4 class-A missing-nin, wearing akatsuki's cloak in front of them.

"There's no choice, we have to fight them all!!!", Neji shouts as to his comrades as he poses in Hyuuga's Gentle Fist Kaiten stance, just before Naruto spit out a few words calmly.

"This is my battle, back-off... I don't need you help to kill this missing-nin...", Naruto sheathing his Nagasone Kotetsu and poses in his popular Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu style.

"Naruto, you won't able to defeat them all by yourself!!! We must help you to defeat them!!" Rock Lee voices out his feelings of worry towards Naruto.

The surroundings becomes silent once more, just before Naruto voices his confidence.

"Neji, Tenten, Sakura, Rock Lee, Kiba, Hinata-chan, Chouji, Shikamaru and Ino!!! Watch carefully as you are lucky to witness the true legendary Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu wiithout being slaughtered at all...", Naruto lays a glance on them before he directs his head to the Akatsuki low-class members.

"Kankyo Kanashii, I'm glad we've found you now, after four years searching for you in Japan... Your Three Demons of Tokugawa totally disturbed our mission to find you...", the small-team leader stars the conversation between him and Naruto.

"For what do you waste such a long time, moron?? Why don't you live a happy life, instead of being a nuissance to me...", Naruto speaks in an insulting tone.

"Our great leader ordered us to search for you, and to make you as our Akatsuki member... the choices now is simple, either you follow us or you will die... spend your time thinking about it, samurai!!!".

"Fuck you, ass-hole... I'm will not bow under the rules of a ninja, I only bows under the true leadership of the samurai... don't ever try to make me feel ashame of myself, please!!!!" Naruto clearly states his principle in front of the ninjas.

"That means you're going to die, samurai!!!" the Akatsuki-nin shouts as he give a signal to other Akatsuki members to attack Naruto.

Using his god-like speed, Naruto unsheathes his sword Nagasone Kotetsu and dashes towards the Akatsuki ninjas.

"Katon; Goukakyuu No jutsu!!!!", one of the Akatsuki ninja shouts loudly before sprays a large amount of fire towards Naruto.

Shit!!! He'll never survive in that condition!!!, thinks the whole jounin group.

The Akatsuki ninja seems to show a happy and glad face just before Naruto appears in front of him, ready with his Nagasone Kotetsu to be swinged towards the enemy.

"Don't get too happy when the fight is still unsettled... Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Ryu-tsuisen!!!!" slowly he whispers.

In a second, the body of the Akatsuki ninja are splitted into 2 halves and created blood storms as his bloods scatters all over the fighting site.

Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Ryu-shosen!!!

The attack hits the throat of the Akatsuki second ninja, causing his throat to be slit. Again Naruto has created the famous horrorful blood storms, which causes Ino and Sakura to vomit... Those girls cannot stand the way Naruto kills his enemies, cruel and heartless way of ending his enemies' lives.

Naruto deliveres his Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, simple battou-jutsu to the third Akatsuki member just before the Akatsuki member completes his hand seal of Kawarimi no Jutsu, simply separates his head from his body.

"Okay, everybody... the main event of the fighting scene..." Naruto speaks loudly just before the fourth Akatsuki member stabs his kunai into Naruto's back.

"Naruto!!!!!!" his former comrades shouts.

"I see... ha ha ha!!!! Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Ku-zuryusen!!!!" Naruto screams total histerically.

He shocked the entire Konoha ninjas who watch the fight live by their own eyes.

Nine super-fatal god-like speed slash has been delivered, ripping every inches of the fourth Akatsuki member into small pieces and created the most frightening and horrifying blood storms the ninjas have even seen in their life!!!

Naruto slowly and calmly wiping his Nagasone Kotetsu before he sheathes it back into its scabbard. Then he quickly pull out the kunai stabbed on his back without showing any signs of pain on his face.

"Does it hurts??", Rock Lee asks, curious.

"No, I've suffering more painful injuries than this one... as an example, my left shoulder has been stabbed deeply before being burned severely by Makoto Shishio, my senior Hitokiri during our fight in Tokyo (Edo) before he fled to Kyoto... the fight went stalemate, without any winner and loser at all...",Naruto tells Rock Lee the story of his previous fights, causing Rock Lee to shape his mouth with a big OOO!!!!

"Naruto-kun, please.. let me.. treat your... injuries, errr...it looks bad...", Hinata offers herself to treat Naruto's injuries.

Naruto opens his long coat, followed by his hakama and finally his t-shirt, revealing many scars on his back, as a results of his previous fights with many high-skilled hitokiri before he came back here.

Hinata feels an enormous feelings of sadness to see Naruto's back filled with scars and scratches, causing her tears dripping on Naruto's back.

"Please Hinata-chan... Why do you cry?? I chooses to follow this path, then so be it... as a result, I have to face death greater than all of you have to, since it is my destiny in order to achieve my dream... Don't show your sympathy towards me, its not that I don't need it... I just think that we should let the past memories fly away, and not to recall them anymore...", Naruto tries to comfort Hinata.

"Damn with your dreams, Naruto... we just want you to change into your usual life as an ordinary Uzumaki Naruto, not as a cruel and heartless Kankyo Kanashii the Shadow Hitokiri... please Naruto, we love the way you're before... not the calm but deadly way you're now...", Ino speaks, noticing that Naruto holds his Shinuchi which seems wierd to her.

"You're wrong, bitch... this is what I am, now till forever... but I will act more polite and nice to all of you...", Naruto speaks as he tries to light his cigarette.

"BITCH??!! Do you call me BITCH just now??!! God, I swear I'm gonna slay you right now!!!".

"Doesn't happy with your new name?? You should thank me for not giving a bad name to you, such as 'hooker' or maybe 'sexy slut'... the same goes to you, pink-panties...", Naruto says in a calm voice, while pointing towards Sakura.

"Okay, that's it!!! You'll never change for the rest of your life!!! I get it!!!", Sakura yells towards Naruto.

"Anyway, thanks Hinata-chan... I really appreciate it...", Says Naruto, looking Hinata with a warm smile. The smile that Hinata had missed it so much for a long 4 years. The smile that shines the entire life of Hinata herself. The smile that bloomes Hinata's eternal love for the man she admired very much, Uzumaki Naruto.

Naruto really has getting confused when he sees Hinata blushes, when her white face turns red.

"Nothing to do with me...", he mutters alone while inhaling the last pack of smoke before he throws away the cigarette.

"I will be in Konoha taijutsu training field tonight, I guess... those Akatsuki members really spoilt my mood of meditating today, until then..." Naruto says to his former comrades before he leaves Icihraku ramen stall, right before a group of Anbu reach the fighting site to investigate the incidents and to bring the bodies of the Akatsuki lackeys into the Konoha laboratory.

It seems that day has a special meaning to Naruto, where he has a new principles of his as a samurai now, to protect Konohakagure from any offences and disturbance. Why?? Because this is the place where he used to live although he had to face bad experiences from the villagers. But still he hope that someday by living his life according to the principles of a samurai, the villagers will admire him and finally treat him with respect, where he used to be treated in Japan.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a hotel, besides the main road to Konoha Village...

Kenshin : Saitou, Yoshinobu, Okubo-sama!!! Please stop smoking, honestly sessha cannot stand it anymore!!!

Saitou : Shut up, Battousai.. I've to arrange paperworks for tomorrow's visit to Konoha..

Yoshinobu : Will they greet us just like they celebrate the samurai which have come back from the war??

Okubo : Nope, I'm very sure about it since I've bring along the scary Three Famous Nippon Hitokiri with me...

Saitou : Enough with your lame words, Okubo... now if you don't mind, please help me with my works...

Okubo : Okay, not a problem...

Yoshinobu : Wow, Saitou... as hardworking as ever...

Kenshin : At least he's hardworking, compared to you, Yoshinobu-kun...

Yoshinobu : Don't you ever underestimate me, Himura... I've finished my paperworks just now!!! Ha Ha Ha!!!

Saitou : Wow, I can't believe it... That's the first time you didn't 'pull the cart before the horses'... That's my brat...

Kenshin : Wow, sessha guess sessha have underestiamte you ... sorry...

Yoshinobu : It's okay... At least you will consider me as hardworking too... wow, I'm so proud of myself...

Kenshin and Saitou : yeah, a big fuck-you clap for Yoshinobu... yeahhh...

Okubo : So good for a group of stupid + crazy hitokiri... all of you make me sick...

Saitou : Okubo-sama has already dead... only three of us left to discuss the future of Japanese relationship with Konoha...

Yoshinobu and Kenshin : Saitou, should we read at least some phrases from the bible, before we bury him??

Okubo : I'm just having a headache, you fuckers!!!! And you treat me as I'm already dead!!! How could you...??!!

Yoshinobu and Kenshin : Ouwh, sorry...

Saitou : Okay, okay... go on with our shitty works now... and don't forget to have enough rest since tomorrow we will keep our eyes on searching for Naruto..

Yoshinobu and Kenshin : Yes, wolf-master...

Okubo : that's sounds good to have our hitokiri living in Konoha, maybe he will serve us many information about Konoha, and finally ease our works.

Yoshinobu : There goes Okubo again, what a lazybone... always looks for easy ways of doing works...

Okubo : Yup, that's me!!!

Saitou : Okay, time to sleep... cigarette first... Dunhill!!!

Yoshinobu and Okubo : Okay, cigarette first... Marlboro!!!

Kenshin : No, no, no... Not again!!!!

- End of Episode 6 - Good Morning Revival -

* * *

- Stay tune for Episode 7 - The Killers 


	8. Chapter 7 : The Killers

**Anthem Of My Dying Days**

Author's Note

- Writing stories while listening to Japanese band X - Japan album... nice moment of writing stories...

- I'm trully apologize for my lack of attention on correct usage of grammars and some typing error... guess this week is a bad week for me... (no cigarette, no money... Ahh, I"m dead meat!!!)

- I just can't replace the usage of the word 'sessha' and 'de gozaru yo' by Kenshin... in Japanese language, people do use these words to express their politeness towards the one that involved in conversation with them... sorry 'bout that!!!! After all, Kenshin is a polite and kind person, isn't he?

- In this episode, the Three Demons of Tokugawa along with their high-ranked officer will reach Konoha after travelling for 5 days from Tokyo, but what are the first thing which stepped on their mind as soon as they reach Konoha?

Okay, back to the stories...

* * *

Episode 7 - The Killers

Naruto went to a quiet place not far from his apartment, to train his Ki and senses. It has been three times since he started training in the quiet field, which is situated near a thick forest that used to be the training ground for Jounin and Chuunin. Sometimes he always thought of building a porcelain kiln and a small hut to begin his porcelain vase, pottery and dishes business, since he saw the 14th Seijyuro Hiko earned money by involving himself into the business, yet had a successful business.

Naruto had spent 3 months learning about the art of pottery from the most famous potters in Kyoto, Mazumaki Onisei and the 14th Seijyuro Hiko, Kakukoshin Niitsu himself. Now he has the confidence of producing the best hand-carved clay-pots and vases using the Japanese legendary pottery skills that he had learnt from them. Before that, he must find the potter-wheel and some stuffs to build his small hut and the potter-kiln.

"In Kyoto, even the 14th Seijuyo Hiko of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu involved himself in the art of pottery, without revealing his own identity. Why don't I just follow the 14th way of life? Simple and easy, at least I can earn some monet to buy cigarettes, foods and some bottles of sake...", Naruto thought as he made his way to the hardware shop.

"How can I help you, sir?", the shop manager asked Naruto just after Naruto stepped into his hardware shop.

"Oh yes, I want to hire your workers to build a potter-kiln and a small hut for me, this is the place...", Naruto says as he showed the map of the place to the shop manager.

"Oh, I know this place... Okay, sir... we will start the building process and finish it by the evening... the cost will be 15000 yen... agree?"

"Yes, and I need a potter-wheel too... so, how's the payment?", Naruto tried to bargain with the manager.

"That will cost you 17000 yen... together with installation payment... is it okay?".

"Here's 20000 yen cash, keep the balances... don't forget to buy meals and drinks for your workers...", Naruto gave the money to the manager.

"Thanks a lot, mister... I really appreciate it very much... We'll start the work right now... Yo, Haniyya!!! Follow this client to his place!!! You and your men will build a potter-kiln and a big hut for him... don't forget to take the potter wheel with you!!!", the manager thanked Naruto and ordered his men to follow Naruto to the construction site.

"Yes, manager-sama!!!"

"Ah, before you forget, ...", the manager asked Naruto's name.

"Kanashii-san...", Naruto told the manager his name.

"Yes, Kanashii-san... In case if you want us to supply you the porcelain, just told us and we'll get them for you... with a little cash.. alright??"

"Of course, manager-san. Thanks for everything... I hope we will deal again in the future... until we meet again...", Naruto replied with a calm face.

The building process of the potter kiln and the hut, together with the installation of potter-wheel had been finished in the evening, right before the sun began to set its sails and the sky turned slowly into its usual dark colour as a symbol that represented the night which has arrived.

Naruto slowly lit up the fire in the kiln, just before he lit his cigarette and poured sake on his tiny cup. He drank it while watching the beautiful sky and the stars shining brightly, which made his heart became easy, filled up with happiness and absolute serenity for the first time.

"hmm, the Japanese delegacy will be arriving tomorrow, hope they do not cause any major problems... No, they're well-educated, there is no way they will humiliate their own rank as an honourable samurai...", Naruto, mumbling to himself while watching the sky.

Tomorrow, he will start his own business of pottery. With a large supply of porcelain, he was very confident of at least produce one or two high-quality flower vases and sell them to the customers. Maybe he'll receive orders from the customers, and start making pots and vases according to their own styles, tastes and needs.

That time, he heard a sound of footsteps walking towards him. He already knew to whom that the walking styles belonged to.

"What are both of you doing in this quite place this dark night... Sakura, Tenten??? Do you want me to have sex with you? Hell no!!", Naruto spoke quite loud just before he continued drinking sake.

"No, Hentai!!! Tenten want to have a simple conversation with you... please Naruto, don't act so cold-hearted and gruffy...," Sakura told Naruto.

"Yes, Tenten-dono... I'm here to hear any words from you...".

"I request a taijutsu-fight here, you and me... If I win, you are going to teach me the techniques of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu...", Tenten voiced out, with confidence.

"And if you lose?"

"I will not going to beg you to teach me again...", Tenten replied, fast.

* * *

Sakura watch both ninja and samurai with worried feelings, but she sure that Naruto wouldn't that cold-hearted to kill Tenten without mercy since the fight was to decide whether Tenten was qualified to learn the techniques of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu or not.

"Draw your sword, Tenten...", Naruto spat out his usual words, while gripping the hilt of his Shinuchi No Sakaba-tou

"Phew, finally he uses the reversed-blade sword... this shows a very good sign...", Sakura thought as she watched Naruto and Tenten in their own fighting stances, Tenten with her usual taijutsu stance while Naruto with his Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu Battou-jutsu stance.

Naruto realised that besides Sakura, there were some other eyes that watching their upcoming fight, such as Shikamaru, Neji, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Chouji, Ino, Sai, Rock Lee as well as Gai, Kakashi, Kurenai, Jiraiya and Tsunade.

"Nijo... Jinjounii... Hajime!!! (Fair and Square... Start!!!)", Sakura Shouted loudly, as both fighters dashed towards their each opponent.

"Chrouching Tigress sword-dance... Double Slash!!!!" Tenten led a war cry and quickly unsheathed her sword, ready to attack Naruto

"Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu... Double Battou-Jutsu...", Naruto whispered before he dashed in full god-like speed towards Tenten.

The sounds of swords colliding into each other can be heard twice before both fighters stod up in their next stances.

Tenten suddenly spat out bloods from her mouth and quickly kneeled in pain before she heard Naruto said about something.

"Tenten, do you think that Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu is easy to be learned? To achieve this god-like speed you must leave all of your belongings and feelings in this world... That's the main reasons why I leave Konoha and all of my prevoius attitudes behind... In order to learn the highest stance of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, you have to gain the strongest will to survive, which means you must not hesitate to kill even your family all by yourself...".

"I'm promise i'll leave everythings behind... please Naruto!!! I beg you!!!", Tenten spoke, as her tears dripping wet all over her cheek.

"No, Tenten... Don't ever promise that forsaken words again, or you'll end up your life being just like me, the famous Kenshin Himura Battousai or even worse the crazy Yoshinobu Tokugawa... Our lives now are ruined miserably, thanks to this Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu...", Naruto spoke, in sad tone.

"Naruto...", Tenten said, watching Naruto's face which showed the feelings of despair and sadness.

"But don't worry Tenten, I'll teach you the royal sword techniques of Tokugawa Family which have been used by Tokugawa Ieyasu, or maybe the Hell-Fire sword of Kazuguchi which had was used by my senior 1st Shadow Hitokiri, Makoto Shishio...", Naruto spoke as he tried to comfort Tenten.

"Gee, thanks Naruto... thanks a lot... I'll never forget your kindness...", Tenten said as she kissed Naruto's left cheek, which made Sakura and Hinata felt envy of Tenten.

All of the ninja who had watched the fight began to reveal themselves as Naruto laid his glance towards each of the ninjas.

"Naruto.. getting better and better, huh??", Jiraiya spoke loudly as he tapped Naruto's back.

But their joy and happiness moments didn't last longer, due to the presence of three figures that totally shocked them.

"Uzumaki... thank god we have found you..."

All of the Konoha ninja, including Tsunade quickly changed their direction to the figures, surprised to see that the three figures are the Three Demons Of Tokugawa themselves.

"Yes, brat... we just arrived here for about 3 hours ago, then that lousy Battousai persuaded me to join them in our search for you...", Saitou spoke while holding his cigarette.

"Naruto-kun?? How are you??", Battousai walked towards Naruto and hugged him.

"Hei, Kenshin-sensei... I had left Japan for a month, and you're started missing me??".

"That redhead really missed you very much...", Yoshinobu began his conversation.

The environment was fillled of silence just before Saitou mentioned about the Konoha ninja which gathered the place before their presence.

"Naruto, what do you want us to do with these rubbish?? Should we kill them all?", Saitou spoke as he was gripping the hilt of his sword.

All of the ninja began to feel the fear of fighting against the Three Demons Of Tokugawa when they watch the three Hitokiri gripped the hilt of their sword.

"The former comrades of mine... leave them alone...".

"Wow, just like Aoshi Shinomori's clan during our past days as Hitokiri...", Yoshinobu added, releasing his grip of the hilt of his Tachi (Long sword).

"Everybody, meet my new comrades... Kenshin Himura Battousai, Miburo Saitou Hajime, Yoshinobu Tokugawa who had taught me about all of the things regarding of being a trully samurai...", Naruto introduced his new comrades to the ninjas.

Gai felt his body trembling in fear as he met, eyes to eyes with the man who had once slaughtered two famous ninja clans in Japan, Saitou Hajime.

"Gai, why are you shaking in fear?", Tsunade asked Gai.

"That man... Saitou Hajime... I heard many bad rumours about him during his past days as the Captain of The Shinsen Gumi 3rd Division. He is just too strong that he was able to finish two famous ninja clan in Japan, Iga and Kouga in just one night...".

All of the ninjas heard Gai's explanation to Tsunade, resulted them the show the shock expression on their faces.

Silent, until Tsunade walked slowly towards Saitou Hajime.

"Is it true?? If is it true, I just wanna know on what reasons do you kill them all??", Tsunade spokes with calm voice while she laid a glare on Saitou.

"I'm afraid that's true.", Saitou replied in a simple answer.

Dushhh!!!!!!

Tsunade laid her fist on Saitou's right cheek, but the Shinsen Gumi ex-captain didn't even dodged her punch.

Saitou was still standing, with a smirk on his lips. Tsunade quickly pulled off her fist, nervously waiting for Saitou to attack her.

"Tsunade, I have my own reasons to kill them...", Saitou began his words just before Kenshin interrupted the conversation.

"Why didn't we Ishin Shishi knew about that?? They're innocent, you know!!"

"Shut up, Battousai... They have plotted to demolish the Shinsen Gumi as soon as after Tokugawa government crushed the Ishin Shishi rebellion against the government... The last descendant of the Tokguwa Family told Kondou-sama, the president of the Shinsen Gumi about that plan... Kondou-sama ordered my division to make sure that there will be no signs of Iga and Kouga families in this world...", Saitou continued his explanation.

"But why do you kill them??"Tsunade asked, but in a total harsh tone.

"It's easy, Tsunade... Shinsen Gumi are similar to the Konoha police force, we protected the freedom and lives of the citizens in Japan. The Iga and Kouga Clans planned on restoring their power and starting massacres to develop the citizens' fears upon them. Of course the Shinsen Gumi will not let that things happen...".

"In order to protect the innocent lives of the citiizens, you have wasted every lives of the ninja clans which had greatly contributed to your former government... That's too awful!!!" Tsunade spoke, in sadness plus angry tone.

"You ninjas wouldn't understand the true meaning of justice...".

"Justice means being fair to all without considering to their status and life, Saitou.", Kakashi spoke as he stared wildly towards Saitou.

Then, Saitou gave a cruel glare which stunned all of the ninja in the field, before holding his swords at the same level with his face. Slowly he unsheathed his sword while speaking.

"Aku, Zaku, Zan... Slay the Evil Instantly... That's the differences between we, the Hitokiri and all of you, the ninja... in front of this sword which I have used since my first days in Shinsen Gumi camp, I swear that I will end the life of the evil person no matter who he or she is, instantly...".

"Although the evil person belongs to your own family?", Tsunade asked spontaneously while prepare herself in taijutsu stances. She knew that she was going to face the ferocious wolf Saitou Hajime and his Gatotsu technique, the technique that rivaled the famous Battousai.

"Yes..." Saitou replied calmly, as he possed in Gatotsu stance, where he pointed the sharp-pointed front of the blade towards Tsunade. The new fight between Tsunade and Saitou Hajime was going to start, just in the time where Kenshin stood between them, unsheathed his new reversed-blade sword.

"Saitou, I will not let you waste another life tonight, enough with your Gatotsu... Tsunade, I beg you... please don't mess up with us again, you're just a mere Sannin who doesn't possess the power to lay even a scratch on us... It's not that I underestimate you, but now you're messing with one of the most powerful sword-fighter in Japan?? Even Uchiha Itachi was nearly defeated by Saitou in their first fight in Mibu Temple 2 years ago, you know??".

All of the ninjas were shocked to hear that the most dangerous missing-nin in Konoha who had slaughtered the entire Uchiha Family, was nearly defeated by the ex-captain of the Shinsen Gumi 3rd Division.

Kakashi voiced out his disbelief, accusing that the words were just a propaganda to scare them off.

"Wait, how can you avoid his Magenkyou Sharingan Genjutsu : Tsukiyomi and Amaterasu?? We also can barely avoid his Genjutsu by not looking into his eyes!!!".

"My strong Ki can easily break the spell of Magenkyou Sharingan Genjutsu : Amaterasu and Tsukiyomi... Look deeply into my sharp eyes and you'll know why I can defeat him easily... That's why the Uchiha Family were so afraid of me... Even Uchiha Madara avoided himself from fighting against me, because he knew that he will lose in all of his fight against me...", Saitou revealed his own way to make the Uchiha Family knelt in fear upon him.

"See, Tsunade... you'll never defeat him although in your ninja world, Sannin is among the best ninja in all ninja villages... Even a small child can predict who's going to be survivor when the Sannin are fighting against us, the Three Demon of Tokugawa...", Yoshinobu spoke arrogantly while pointing his 1.5 metres Tachi (long sword) towards Tsunade.

Silence again conquered the place, just before the Hitokiri made their ways leaving Naruto and his former comrades of ninja behind.

"It's time to leave, Naruto-kun... we'll meet tomorrow..", Kenshin spoke loudly, waving his hand to Naruto.

"Bye, my friends...", Naruto spoke in a calm tone, also waving his hand to Kenshin.

* * *

"Your new comrades are very cold-hearted, for sure... even though they possessed the sword skill that fears everybody...", Ino spoke in anger, while watching the three hitokiri walked away to their hotel.

"After all, thanks to them I'm able to survive any big battle that I've faced prevously... They had taught me the main reasons why I must survive, how can I uphold justice by using my sword and finally, how do I battle against my fears...", Naruto replied.

"I must admit that they're cool... even though I don't like them either...", Rock Lee expressed his admiration about the three Hitokiri.

"Those badass jerks, I don't like them either!!!" Sakura shouted, showing her unsatisfaction to those samurai for insulting her sensei, Tsunade.

"Yup, the same goes to us..." all of the ninja were completely unsatisfied with the way Yoshinobu, Saitou and Kenshin had humiliated them before.

* * *

"So Naruto, are are you gonna do tonight? Drinking sake, smoking or maybe just wasting your time staring at the sky?" Chouji asked Naruto while eating his potato chips.

"I think I will spend my time tonight reading Icha Icha Paradise, maybe...".

"My god, pervert!!! Naruto!!! Do they teach you on how to be pervert??!!!" Sakura shouted at Naruto's face.

Tsunade, Jiraiya and Kakashi smacked their heads after hearing Naruto's words. What have changed Naruto from a naive ninja into a prevert badass samurai??!

"Hei, pink slut... I'm happy to watch you performing your tiger-show, stripping your clothes one by one... only if you're willing to.." Naruto replied back while lighting his cigarette.

"Oh God, I swear I'm gonna kill you right NOW!!!"

"Go on, my dear hot Sasuke's mistress... fuck me up to the sky, baby!!!" Naruto spoke in his usual humiliation voice, while gripping the hilt of his Shinuchi.

Again Tsunade, Jiraiya and Kakashi smacked their heads after hearing Naruto's words.

"He's more pervert than you're, Ero-sennin... He's even worse, you know??!!" Tsunade spoke as she looked at Jiraiya.

"Thank god, I'm not that high-level of being a pervert..." Jiraiya sighed.

"Okay, Naruto... I guess this is the end of our gathering party tonight... until we meet tomorrow... ", Kakashi spoke while he and Tsunade dragged Sakura away. Everybody left the field, going home leaving Neji and Hinata with Naruto.

"Naruto, I have one request for you to fulfill... can you??", Neji asked in a shy tone.

"What, Neji??"

"Hinata-sama insist in staying here with you tonight.. even me myself couldn't persuade her to go back to Hyuuga Mansion with me. Oh god, Hiashi-sama will surely kill me tonight...", Neji sighed.

"Oh, crap... She's going to make me kill myself tonight...", Naruto smacked his head.

Their conversation has been interrupted by Hinata, walking slowly towards Naruto.

"Naruto-kun... I... can I... stay with... you here, tonight??" Hinata requested shyly, causing Naruto to be in a total shocking condition.

"Sorry, Naruto... not my fault..."Neji sighed again.

- God, please spare my life just for tonight... Don't let me getting slaughtered just because this girl couldn't get the best moment of sex in her entire life... -

"Ahh, okay, okay... only for tonight...".

"Yeah, Naruto-kun!!! Thanks!!!" Hinata kissed Naruto's lips, only to make Naruto's face blushed.

"Okay, until then... Please take a good care of Hinata-sama for me... Otherwise, Hiashi-sama will slaughter me into tiny pieces..", Neji spoke before he left.

"Okay then..."

The night became the most unexpected night for the first time in Naruto's life, to let a girl staying with him and finally sharing a small bed with him. Only god knows the bad feelings in his heart, while picturing the reactions of his former comrades of Konoha ninja if they know Hinata was staying in his home for a night. Yes, a night is enough for a girl with bad-mouth such as Ino or Sakura, making bad gossips and speculations about his night with Hinata...

God, please avoid me from being humiliated tomorrow... Please!!!!!

- End of Episode 7 -

* * *

Author's note :

- Stay tune for next chapter : (Special Episode) Exclusive - A Midnight's Dream (Pairing NaruHina)

- Hints for next chapter - it's all about NaruHina, I mean on how Hinata is going to make Naruto believe that he is not alone anymore, with the presence of Hinata in his heart... Love is in the air... make a way for love!!!!

- Thanks everybody for the supports!!!


	9. Exclusive : A Midnight's Dream

**Anthem Of My dying Days**

Author's Note

- It's only a filler chapter... so, I 'll make it short and simple.

- Especially for readers who want to see Naruto changes into his normal life, I'm afraid that wouldn't happen because Naruto has becoming a rude person, more badass and more advanced in foul-language usage besides being a calm and cool person... thanks to the harsh teachings of Kenshin, Saitou and Yoshinobu. Gomenasai, minna-san!!!

* * *

Exclusive Episode - A Midnight's Dream (Naruto and Hinata)

The midnight air in Konoha was a little bit fresh, more fresh than the air in Kyoto which once were filled of the horrorful smell of blood and human bodies laying all of over the streets, rotting and decaying into pieces. It seems that Konoha had achieved peace and solidarity for so long, since the attack by Sunakagure ninjas where Naruto himself had encountered Gaara, the container of Jinchuuriki. If the citizens of Konoha wanted to compare the destruction resulted from that mere attack on Konoha to the bloody wars in Japan, especially Kyoto during Bakumatsu era, they have to think twice or maybe more before comparing these two incidents. After all, these Konoha ninja had never felt the fear that the samurai had felt during their battle during the bloody-era, especially when they have to fight against both Battousai Himura or Miburo Saitou Hajime in the alley or streets of Kyoto.

Naruto had figured it for so long, for he never fought against the other two best sword-fighters in Japan besides Kenshin Himura Battousai. Yes, he had once fought against Kenshin, but it was only during his training. He never saw Yoshinobu performing his dark Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu or Saitou Hajime slashing the enemies with his powerful Gatotsu.

A part from his heart admired them very much since they had shown him the other path of getting stronger according to his Bushido Code, without harming his former comrades... And now it was his own choice to choose the path which is destined for him.

While he was staring up to the sky. thinking about his past as the Kage no Hitokiri and his future as a samurai who served both Konoha and Kyoto, a voice suddenly cut his deep thoughts.

"Naruto-kun, are... you... alright?"

Oh, Naruto was totally forgot about Hinata which insisted on accompanying him just for that night... maybe she was totally bored with the strict principles of Hyuuga Family.

"I'm alright... just remembering my past and planning on doing something in the future...", Naruto continued his deep thoughts while lighting another cigarette.

"Shit, I really have treatened my lungs badly... a piece of cigarette after another... will I end-up being Saitou-kun's clone??", Naruto thought, looking at his burned cigarette.

"Errr, Naruto-kun... It has.. been two times since you mentioned... about the Bakumatsu era in Kyoto... I.. would like... to hear... stories about it..", Hinat spoke in a trembling voice.

Naruto was quite uneasy to tell Hinata about the era that had totally turned his fellowship of the samurai into demons and had slightly almost turned him into the same condition with them, too. He never told anybody in Konoha the specific stories behind the cruel era as an honour to those who had fought valiantly, and those who had fallen during the era. His thought unintendedly laid on Kenshin, which was always haunted by his cruel Battousai Hitokiri personality that he developed all by himself during the era and Saitou, which Naruto always seen visiting the grave of his fallen Shinsen Gumi comrades, especially the graveyard of the late Okita Souji, Saitou's only best friend.

"Naruto-kun...". A voice again intercepted Naruto's deep thoughts.

"Oh, sorry... just remembering my comrades who had fallen during Bakumatsu era...", Naruto exhaled the smoke from his cigarette.

Naruto directed his head to another direction, when he realised that Hinata was watching him with a completely blushed face.

"Bakumatsu era was the era where the Imperialist samurai was fighting against the reign of Tokugawa Families... The fighting took the fighting mostly in Kyoto, because Kyoto is the capital city of Japan during that time... my fellowship of the samurai whom all of you had met just now were the main important characters of the bloody era... Kenshin Himura Battousai was one of the Imperialist Hitokiri specialized to guard the front line during their assault on Kyoto, while both Yoshinobu Tokugawa and Saitou Hajime were among the backbones of Tokugawa samurai forces... Yoshinobu was the leader of Tokugawa Hitokiri Force while Saitou Hajime was the Captain of Shinsen Gumi 3rd Division...", Naruto began his story.

"Wow, you're lucky to have... three of them to be your sensei... I can sense... that there is still... a piece of kindness in their heart... despite of their horror and cruel history..", Hinata added while watching Naruto poured sake into a small cup.

"All of us had at least a bit of cruel and sad history behind us... but I have pity on Yoshinobu more than other two Hitokiri, since he had to suit his life into a local citizen's life after being exiled from Tokugawa Family castle... his father even hired some samurai to kill him to avoid him spreading bad news about the Tokugawa Family, but yet he acted so cool and cold-hearted...".

"All hope become despair...". Naruto smirked as he sipped his sake.

"Let the dragon chooses its own path of life, let no question asked about why and how it chooses the path...".

"Naruto-kun... the phrases... it's full of meanings...", Hinata spoke as she joined Naruto watching the beautiness of the shining stars in the sky.

"...just like the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu itself, full of meanings and perceptions...", Naruto began to pour some sake into his tiny cup.

Hinata observed Naruto from his legs up to his hair. To her, Naruto now is a bit matured from he was before. His way of speaking and his attitude has changed from a talkative and energetic ninja-boy to a samurai which is full of serenity and wisdom. Unlike his harsh and mocking way of conversations with other ninja, he turned to be polite during his conversations with Hinata as Hinata always showed him compassion and the love he had never cherished before.

"Naruto-kun... There's something... I like... to tell you...", Hinata spoke, a bit of trembling.

"Yes??"

Hinata always wanted to tell Naruto about her feelings, but she couldn't. She always kept blaming herself on that. Sometimes, she envied Sakura for being admired by Naruto, during their past moments as Konoha genin. She hatred towards Sakura rose highly when Sakura denied Naruto's love and kept on chasing Sasuke which showed not even any feelings towards her. Naruto was right in his perception about love. Love is blind...

"Do you still love Sakura-dono??"

"Hinata, there's no room for love in my heart for now... I just can't reserve even tiny spaces in my heart for love right now...", Naruto slowly lit another cigarette.

"What's... your perception... about love... so far??".

"Why don't you just take a look on that miserable Sakura?? Insane and unorganized, hallucinating about Sasuke... her total foolish love towards that fuckin' brat Sasuke is just too high, and the love had destroyed her life once and for all... of course I wouldn't let that ruined my life..."

"Naruto-kun..."

"Yes..??"

"Would you accept me... if I tell you now... that I'm trully madly deeply... in love with you??", Hinata wisely arranged her words.

And those words shocked Naruto just like his heart was stabbed by a kunai.

"Oh, shit... no wonder she kept on blushing if she met me anywhere...", Naruto thought while remembering his meets with Hinata when he was a Konoha genin.

"Hinata, you belongs to the prestigious Hyuuga Family. Do you know that your words just now can cause bad implications to you yourself??"

Suddenly, Hinata cried as her tears running wildly over her cheek.

"Naruto-kun, when... you fled away.. to Japan... I almost killed myself... My heart was broken to see... you're living a miserable way of life...".

"Hinata, I'm not rejecting you for sure... but if your family know about that??"

"They knew about it... That's why Hiashi-sama replaced me... with Hanabi as the Hyuuga heir..."

"Oh my god... you... ", Naruto couldn't continue his words further, when he watched Hinata sobbing.

Naruto suddenly recalled his conversations with his fellowship of the Hitokiri, just before he went back to Konoha.

* * *

(flashback)

"Sometimes what we are doing now accidentally broke the heart of those who always loving us with the deepest of her heart...", Saitou spoke before he lit his cigarette.

"Saitou-kun, a romantic words from a well-known Miburo No Ookami Shinsen Gumi... this world of love and romances is not suitable for us, isn't it?", Naruto lit his cigarette as he slowly sat beside Saitou, watching the sky.

"Hey, of course I'm expert about it... after all, I have my own wife now...".

"What the hell..!!! Wait, you've married... with whom!!?? She is surely a buddha with a pure heart, isn't she?? No wonder she can tame you easily!!!"

"Never ask anything about my Tokio Takagi, a daughter of Aizu Daimyo, Takagi Takeshiro... She's a mix genetic of Buddha and devil... when she's angry, you'll be dead meat for sure... I've once being a victim of her anger, being Gatotsu-ed on my shoulder by a wooden sword is the best example...", Saitou voiced, in anger.

"Wooo, evil... okay, back to our conversation..", Naruto expressed his words, in admiration for Tokio which was abled to tamed a deadly wolf just like Saitou easily.

"Never break the heart of those who totally loved you with her pure clean heart..."

" Nani?? You always call yourself the Miburo Shinsen Gumi who once reigned the streets of Kyoto, killing the evil samurai violently!!!! Yet you expressed love poems in the most disgusting way I've ever heard!!!"

"Hoi baka-yarou, every samurai need a woman who can tame his strong desire to kill... as an honourable man, we need woman to take care of us, to make us happy and to treat our injuries after we've come back from war... how can you fight against these simple rules of life?? every man needs a woman in his life... even Okita Souji which always fought valiantly had a mistress to pleasure him every night..."

"Are you saying that we should reserve places in our heart just for love??"

"Why, yes... even your Kenshin-sensei has a lover now, her name is Kaoru Kamiya... Yoshinobu whom you recognized as the most craziest Hitokiri you ever seen, plans to marry a member of Okashira Kunoichi on this upcoming summer, her name is Omasu... Ha, another best example... Do you know Aoshi Shinomori??"

"yes..."

"He is now secretly in crush with an annoying new leader of Okashira Kunoichi, Misao Makimachi... See, a man can't always stands on his feet... sometimes he need a woman who can pleasure his heart, love him totally with her pure heart..." Saitou added, before he quickly hid his cigarette under the bench where he sat just now.

His face was showing a great sign of fear as he saw a well-dressed and cute woman about in the age of 25, walking towards him while holding her wooden sword.

"Is that your Tokio...?", Naruto asked.

"I'm afraid, yes...", Saitou replied, in trembling voice.

"Tokio-chan..."

"Saitou-baby, are you smoking? How many times do I have to tell you not to smoke, hubby??", Tokio asked politely while showing her evil face.

"Your wife?", Naruto asked Saitou before bowed politely at Tokio.

"Yes...", Saitou replied, in fear.

"Oh, Naruto-kun... nice to meet you here, smoking along with my lovely Saitou-baby...", Tokio politely bowed, before dragging Saitou home.

"For the first time I beg you Naruto, please save me... She's gonna Gatotsu me after this... Tokio, please spare my life, I cannot live without cigarette...", Saitou spoke, trembling in fear.

"NO, Saitou-hubby!!! You'll be punished severely tonight.. no soba and the most important thing, no sex for you tonight!!!", Tokio spoke, dragging Saitou back to their house.

"Hei, I need soba tonight... hungry..."

"No lame excuses...", Saitou heard the soft but cruel voice of Tokio as he saw Naruto waving his hand to him.

"Iterasshai... goodbye, Saitou-kun...", Naruto shouted loudly, only causing Saitou to fell fear more and more.

(end of flashback)

* * *

The environment became silent for a minute, before Naruto finally surrendered.

"Hai, I will never win against the feelings of love, even though I tried my best to avoid it...", Naruto sipped his sake.

"Naruto-kun..", Hinata stopped sobbing.

"I promise I will take care of you for my entire life, even from your Hiashi-sama...", Naruto poured again some sake into his tiny cup.

"Naruto-kun...", Hinata's face was completely blushed as she hugged Naruto tightly. Her heart was in deep happiness to know that Naruto also had a same feelings of loving her, too.

Slowly Naruto whispered into Hinata's ear.

"I love you, too... Let the stars be the witnesses of our blooming love tonight...".

"Yes, Naruto-kun... I knew this day will arrive, and tonight finally my wish become true... the man that I used to watch him from far distance once upon a time ago is now hugging me...", Hinata cried in happiness. The feelings of happiness that can't be changed with money or anything precious in this world.

Hinata always prayed for this moment to come, and it finally came... although in another weird way for Hinata herself.

Another moments of love and romances had bloomed again, even though it was between two different status, a samurai and a kunoichi. But again their pure love overcame everything, everything that blocked their ways.

Hinata will be remembering this moment as the most happy moments she had spent with Naruto in her life.

Will Hinata shares her story about how Naruto and her spend the night watching the sky while hugging each other, with Sakura, Ino and Tenten? Time will tell us everything...

- End of Exclusive Episode - A Midnight's Dream -

* * *

Author's Note

- Nothing to say... TT (completely touched with romances stories of Naruto and Hinata)

- Stay tune for Episode 8 - Fake Tales of Konoha

- Hint - act 1 : In front of Konoha Main Building - Naruto and Kenshin fighting to test Naruto's skills and swordsmanship

act 2 : Konoha Hokage Office - Yoshinobu and Tsunade discussing about Naruto

act 3 : Ichiraku Ramen stall - Saitou and Kakashi along with Sai and Sakura in quite long conversations.


	10. Chapter 8 : Fake Tales Of Konoha

**Anthem Of My Dying Days**

Author's Note

- Thank's everybody for your never-ending supports!!!! I appreciate them very much!!!!

- The name of this episode 8... I take it from the title of Artic Monkey's song, Fake Tales of San Francisco (I love this song very much!!!)

- This episode will be revealling many secrets about dark Naruto... an action-packed episode...

Okay, back to our stories...

* * *

Episode 8 - Fake Tales Of Konoha

It was 7.30 o'clock in the morning. Some people had stared their usual life in the morning while others were still sleeping, playing with their sweet dreams. But for Rock Lee, he woke up early, 6.30 o'clock in the morning and took a shower before he dressed up and started jogging to his usual taijutsu training field. He was among the most hardworking jounin in Konoha, in order to achieve his dream to be the strongest ninja of all without using any ninjutsu or genjutsu. He kept on jogging to his taijutsu training field, hoping that there's nobody there to watch him training. As soon as he reached the field, he was quite surprised to see Naruto had already there enhancing his sword skills. Wow, that's the spirit of youth...

"1st Kata... Tsuki!!!"

"2nd Kata... Hidarinagi!!!"

"3rd Kata... Hidarikiriage!!!"

"Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu... Ku-zuryusen!!!"

Nine slash were delivered to a wooden target in a same time, causing the wooden target to explode and broke into tiny pieces.

"1st Kata... Miginagi!!!"

"2nd Kata... Migikiriage!!"

"3rd Kata... Hidari-Tsuki!!"

"Mizoguchi Haitto-ryu... Gatotsu!!!"

Naruto struck a big tree which is used to be a target for Rock Lee to train his taijutsu, totally demolished it. As the big tree tumbled down onto the ground, Naruto stood there in disbelief, to discover that the technique that he was performing just now was Saitou Hajime's famous technique, Gatotsu.

"Wow, I've finally discover Saitou's Gatotsu technique... great...", Naruto blinked his eyes, not believing that he was finally know what had made Saitou Hajime's Gatotsu technique very powerful and could not be challenged even by Battousai himself.

"Saitou-kun, you're absolutely genius... discovering a killer stance in Mizoguchi Haitto-ryu (the Shinsen Gumi basic technique) and then modifies it into a technique that specialized to kill enemy with a single blow... Great!!!! That's my Saitou Hajime-senpai!!! Ha Ha Ha!!!!", Naruto shouted loudly, with an evil grin on his face.

Naruto's deep thought was interrupted by a loud voice by Rock Lee.

"Naruto, you've just destroyed my big tree!!!! How am I going to train today??!!! Oh, how am I going to develop my spirit of youth today???", Rock Lee showed his sad face, which scared Naruto.

"Oh, sorry...", Naruto sheathed his Nagasone Kotetsu and quickly walked away, without showing any expression on his face.

"Hei, Naruto!!! Not so fast!!! You have to accompany me until Neji and Tenten arrive!!!"

"Fuck you!!!", Naruto spoke while showing his middle finger.

"Fuck you too!!", Rock Lee replied back ,showing his middle finger too.

"Hei, that's my word... how dare you use it against me??", Naruto spoke in anger.

"Is it your word?!... 'Fuck You Too"... wow, what an elegant word!!", Rock Lee spoke, as his face was full of admiration.

"Yes, Rock Lee!!! You've bloomed your spirit of youth!!!", Naruto quickly made his pace quickly to the entrance gate of the training field.

"That's not a joke, Naruto!!!", Rock Lee suddenly appeared in front of him.

Okay, okay... but I'm afraid my hand is not so useful when it comes to taijutsu...", Naruto spoke, as he stopped right in front of Rock Lee.

"Yes, Naruto!!! That's I want to see from you!!! The youthful spirit is blooming... Oh, it's so sensational!!!!"

"Fuck you!!! And your so-called Youthful Spirit!!!", Naruto mumbled, felt extremely bored to hear Rock Lee kept on lecturing him about the youthful spirit.

...XxXxXxXxXxX...

"Okay, time to stretch our muscle!!!".

Rock Lee quickly moved into his taijutsu stances, while Naruto calmly lit his cigarette and exhaled the smokes as he stood steadily.

"Hei, Naruto!!! Are you serious or not??!! We're in the middle of a training and you still can light your cigarette without performing any taijutsu stances at all!!!", Rock Lee shouted loudly in anger.

"This is my stances... as you can see now...", Naruto stood straight, while smoking.

That time, Rock Lee appeared behind Naruto and lifted his feet as he tried to kick Naruto.

Naruto dodged it and delivered Rock Lee two kicks, causing him to moved back to his original position.

"You didn't even use your hands just now... are you mocking me??", Rock Lee tried to attack Naruto with his famous taijutsu stance, Shishi Rendan.

"I'm not specialized in using my hands to knock people down... After all, I only use my hands to kill enemies by wielding my sword, not just to knock them down...", Naruto spoke as he put his cigarette between his lips.

"Taijutsu... Shishi Rendan!!!"

"My own bare-hand fighting style... Ku-zuryusen without sword... how will it gonna be??", Naruto spoke, grinned happily as he had the chance on practically applicating his Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu without using swords at all.

Neji had arrived at the taijutsu training field when he saw something extra-ordinary to him. Naruto was delivering nine attacks at the same time to Rock Lee, the technique was exactly as same as his Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu Ku-zuryusen, only this time he uses his bare-hands.

Rock Lee was thrown away to a big tree, causing the big tree to collapsed to the ground.

"Ha... performing Ku-zuryusen without using swords is far more painful... shit, my hands bleeding...", Naruto looked at his hand, and quickly bandaged his hand.

"Wow, Naruto... your technique... they're very good!!!", Rock Lee voiced as he got up, examined his bleeding hands which covered his body from being struck by Naruto's attack just now.

"Oh, sorry for causing you some bad... injuries... Nah, some bandages and an ointment, treat your hands or else, leave them if you wanna be crippled without your hand...", Naruto spoke as he exhaled some smokes.

"Okay... I... I just don't believe that you had developped great skills since your runaway to Japan 4 years ago... that's sooo youthfullll!!!".

"Ha ha ha, Rock Lee... actually that I will be using the technique just when fighting against anybody from the Hyuuga Family... ", Naruto sat besides Rock Lee.

"Just like the old says, save the best skills for the best moment...", Rock Lee said, while resting.

"Yup, let the dead watch at least some best show before they died...", Naruto spoke, after throwed away the last cigarette.

Both ninja jounin and samurai laughed before Naruto finally walked away out from the training field.

"Ah, Naruto's full of youthful spirit now...", Rock Lee spoke in admiration as he watched Naruto slowly made his pace to Konoha Main Office.

ACT 1 - Battousai Hitokiri vs Kagerou Hitokiri

Naruto calmly walked to the compound of Konoha Main Office while smoking when he saw his master sat at the main stairs of Konoha Main Office. There Naruto saw many of Konoha ninja such as Kurenai, Anko, Kakashi, Gai as well as his former comrades such as Sakura, Sai, Ino, Shikamaru and Kiba standing around the compound.

Kenshin Himura got up and slowly made his pace towards Naruto. Their Ki began to filled up the space as both of them stood steadily towards each other.

"Where as Saitou-kun and Yoshinobu-senpai, sensei??", Naruto began his conversation.

"They're in the Hokage office...", Kenshin replied, and smile.

"I wish to see how far you've developed yourself these years... draw you sword, Kagerou Hitokiri...", Kenshin calmly unsheathed his new sakaba-tou, Tou-aii.

Tou-aii was another reversed-blade sword made by the famous craftman Shakku Arai. The word 'Tou-Aii' itself means 'The Sword Of Love And Compassion', which symbolized Kenshin himself as a swordsman who vowed not to kill again to atone for his fallen Imperialist comrades during Bakumatsu era.

"As you wish.. Hitokiri Battousai... will you let them to watch our fight... or do you want me to get rid of them??", Naruto asked, while unsheathing his Shinuchi, another reversed-blade sword that was made by Shakku Arai and had been used by Kenshin before he gave it to Naruto.

"Let them see the true quality of Bakumatsu No Hitokiri... wield your sword without any fear... uphold the justice, protect the innocents!!!", Kenshin uplifted his voice, pointing his sword towards Naruto.

Most of the ninjas looked among themselves, maybe eager to watch the gonna-be best fight between the master of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu and his apprentice.

"How dare these samurai choose our office compound as their fighting site...", Kiba voiced, unsatisfied.

"Shooo, shut up Kiba!!! Maybe this is useful for us... right, Ino??", Sakura spoke, thinking about her idea to watch both samurai fought and at the same time gathered informations about the sacred technique of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu.

"Yup, Sakura...that's true...", Ino replied.

"Kurenai-sensei, what's your opinion about both Battousai and Naruto??", Shikamaru asked, thinking about any possibilities of the Konoha ninjas to win against the most powerful hitokiri in Japan.

"Oh my god, their excessive Ki... they're totally expert in sword-fighting... more than Tenten herself...", Kurenai answered in trembling voice.

"This Konoha will surely destroyed if Kyoto just send these two Hitokiri to conquer us... It's just... their desire to kill are extremely high, like a blood-thirsty demon...", Anko said clearly to them.

"Anyway, let us observe this fight carefully and gather as many information about Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu...", Sai spoke, while his eyes looked straight forward to the upcoming fight.

"Ready... Kagerou??".

"As you wish, Battousai..."

At the speed of the blink of a eye, they dashed towards each other.

"Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu... Battou-jutsu!!!"

K-changggg!!!!!

Both samurai faced each other again and they quickly prepared for another attack.

"Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu... Ryu tsui-sen!!!", Kenshin whispered after he jumped as high as possible to retrieve as many momentum as possible.

Naruto stood steadily and quickly changed the direction of his sword while he whispered the move that he will be using to counter Kenshin's technique.

"Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu... Ryu sho-sen!!!!".

Their swords clashed in the air just before both of them landed on the ground.

"Time for ultimate technique... Naruto-kun!!!", Kenshin prepared himself to launch Ku-zuryusen.

"I know, sensei...", Naruto stood steadily and pointed his sword towards Kenshin.

"Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu... Ku-zuryusen!!!" Both samurai shouted as they delivered the attack to each other.

NINE SLASH AT THE SAME TIME!!!!! The accuracy and the speed needed to launch the technique had totally shocked all of the ninjas who watched the fight with their naked-eyes.

"They aren't human beings, are they? Oh my god, their speed are extremely shocked me!!!" Kiba spoke, in disbelief.

"These are not the end of the fight yet... look, they're preparing for the final technique... The technique that supposed to be the ultimate technique of all stances in Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu..", Kakashi spoke, calmly.

"Let the dragon chooses its way of life, let there be no question asked on why or how do it chooses its way!!!", both Naruto and Kenshin voiced loudly before they dashed towards each other.

"HITEN MITSURUGI-RYU... AMAKAKERU RYU NO HIRAMEKI!!!!"

The sword clashed, the surroundings became quiet and silent while both samurai stood steadily on their ending pose.

"What the hell...!!!! I just... can't think of anything... about it!!! It's just... the way they wield their sword... are full of art!!!", Kiba spoke, trembling in fear.

"Ino, do you watch that?? How do we want to fight against these demons?? Even Sasuke-kun will never win against these bunch of well-trained samurai!!!!", Sakura spoke, without blinking her eyes.

"They're demons... No wonder they can survive the bloody era of Bakumatsu...", Sai spoke calmly, while reading his notes about the History of Japan.

"Naruto... why don't you wave your hand at those ninja?? It's just to let them know that we will not kill them...", Kenshin sheathed his Tou-Aii. He was so glad to see Naruto had developped himself drastically, wielding the sword without any hesitation at all. Kenshin smiled and finally walked away from the compound.

"Okay, Kenshin-sensei... anyway, thanks for your teachings... without your teachings, I'll never make it just like today...", Naruto spoke calmly, while sheathing his Shinuchi.

ACT 2 - Yoshinobu and Tsunade, A Long Conversation 

While other ninja who were standing on the rooftop looking to themselves for not disbelieving of what they have seen just now, Tsunade and Yoshinobu watched the fight calmly from the Hokage's office.

"That Naruto's life have completely ruined now, his eyes have told us everything...", Tsunade spoke, while throwing his view at Naruto which slowly lit his cigarette before walked away from the compound.

"Ruined?? You have to be grateful since he chooses to stay here and to serve under you, rather than he chooses either to live in Japan or to continue wandering all over the world without seeing your lame faces at all in the first place...", Yoshinobu spoke in harsh tone.

"Yoshinobu!!! The shiny blade of your sword have totally blinded you, you know?!! He's totally ruined for sure... F' you and your damn ways of the samurai!!!!", Tsunade shouted towards Yoshinobu's face.

But then, Yoshinobu still stood calm and steadily, which irritated Tsunade the most.

"My sensei, Seijyuro Hiko the 14th had once told me a poem about putting our trust on those who had choosed their way of life... Let the dragon chooses its way of life, let no question ask on why or how the dragon chooses the way...", Yoshinobu added before continued smoking.

Tsunade suddenly grabbed the colar of Yoshinobu's long coat before shouted half-histerically towards him.

"Don't act just like nothing happens!!!! You and your demonic Hitokiri comrades have totally ruined his life, now you act just like he's normal as before!!! Do you think he will remained unchanged after you and that damn Himura had taught him the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu technique??!! Your life has ruined for sure and now you wanna ruin an innocent boy's life???!!"

Yoshinobu still remained calm and cool.

"Tsunade, he choosed to be in that way of life, then why should you interfere his decision? Let me tell you something, Naruto is sick of being a weakling all the time thanks to your Konoha's pathetic way of teaching a ninja to be strong and well-skilled jounin... He had begged us many times to train him to be just like us... At first I also didn't agree with Himura's decision to train him, but since Himura said that he has a full trust on Naruto of being a strong samurai which can continue Himura's principle of protecting the innocents and weaks, uphold justice against those who acted wrongly, then so be it...", Yoshinobu arranged his words, stunned Tsunade for a minute.

"But look at Naruto now... he's totally different from himself before...", Tsunade started to cry.

"I know... four of us had the same sad experiences of being isolated and mistreated in wrongful ways...", Yoshinobu spoke after finished his cigarette.

"Naruto... he was once an energetic person I ever knew... He never pulled-back his boastful words, to be the strongest ninja and to claim the title of Hokage... But now, he even says that he is no longer need the title of Hokage... he even lose his own personality... I can't stand of looking straight to his face which often tells me that the new Naruto now is made of the feelings of cruelty, despair and sadness... I... I... I just can't... I just can't stand it anymore...", Tsunade spoke with her tears running wild over her cheek.

Silence conquered the surroundings of Hokage office fo a couple of minutes.

"...the eyes of despair and sadness...", Yoshinobu continued back the conversation.

"The enemies recognized us by looking straight forward into our eyes. By this characteristic, they had nick-named us... Himura as The Eyes of A Hitokiri, Saitou as The Eyes Of A Wolf, they even nick-named me as The Eyes of Insanity... Recently, the enemies had Naruto as The Eyes Of Despair and Sadness due to his eyes which showed the people his despair and sadness which had pushed him to wield the sword against the enemies without any mercy at all...".

"Do you totally blamed on us for isolated and mistreating him??", Tsunade spoke in anger.

"Tsunade, please don't make your own conclusion... I don't blame on anybody about it... It's just the nature wanted him to be just like that... In this case, you must not blame anybody as it will totally ruins everything...", Yoshinobu replied in normal tone, trying to avoid himself drawing his sword towards Tsunade.

Woman never understand the sense of pride and dignity in man's heart. They always act wrongly according to their heart and not to think about other consequences that they will face in the future.

"Yoshinobu, I know you better than anybody else in Konoha... You used to live here before the Meiji Revolution had started in Japan and during the Ninja-Samurai wars, you always saved me from being killed by Miburo Saitou Hajime in every battle that I've joined... You also stopped Saitou from eliminating my entire ninja squad for many times... Please, I beg you for this time... please change Naruto back into his usual personality... I beg you!!!", Tsunade kneeled in front of Yoshinobu while crying loudly.

Yoshinobu turned back and spoke in his killer tone.

"We samurai doesn't interfere in anybody's life, let the nature make its own way... In this case, I'm sorry... I can't help you... I believe that only Naruto has the answer to the questions regarding his new personality...".

"How could you... Yoshi?!!!"

"Tsunade... Our ways of thinking are completely different from the ninjas... We have our own reasons for being who we are now... please understand our condition now, because once a samurai chooses to do something, you'll never change his decisions...", Yoshinobu walked slowly before he opened the door.

"I'm sorry, this time I too useless to fulfill your wish... It's just too ambitious...".

Tsunade cried loudly as she can to release her sadness which she had kept in her heart for so long. She could not forget on the way Naruto used to be, a childish little prankster. But now it's all had gone... just like the dry leaf that had been destroyed into tiny dust after being blown by the wind. She hold her necklace and prayed that God will change Naruto from being a heartless ghost into a teenager he used to be.

ACT 3 - Saitou and Team 7, Of Sword And Knuckles Conversation

Saitou had just finished his bowl of plain soba in Ichiraku Ramen stall when Kakashi and his Team 7 sat beside Saitou, ordering three bowls of ramen.

"Greetings, Saitou Hajime... It has been a long time since our first meet in Osaka 5 years ago...", Kakashi started his conversation with Saitou.

Saitou slowly dragged his cigarette between his lips and lit it.

"Greetings, Kakashi...", Saitou replied in simple words.

Sakura and Sai looked Saitou furiously, trying to discover his complex way of thinking.

"I wonder that your Mizoguchi Haitto-ryu is still that sharp or not, since the Tokugawa Shogunate era has over now... but now I'm totally puzzled on how you will carry you own principle into the new era with the new law prohibited the citizens and police to bring samurai katana in the public...", Kakashi spoke, in calm tone and polite manner.

"Even though the era has changed, but a samurai is still a samurai, a ninja is still a ninja, Shinsen Gumi is still Shinsen Gumi... Isn't it true, Kakashi??"

"I don't think so, Saitou...", Kakashi replied back, watching Saitou exhaling the smokes to the air.

"Kakashi, we have the same principle... Aku, Soku, Zan!!!! Slay the evil instantly!!!! I swear by the title of the Captain of Shinsen Gumi 3rd Division that I will obey this principle anywhere, anytime to atone for my fallen Shinsen Gumi comrades during Bakumatsu era... We, Shinsen Gumi have fought fiercely to defend this principle, and I certainly know the harsh obstacles that we have to face in order to defend it..", Saitou spoke, in usual tone.

"I will not understand your complex way of thinking even though I've fought against you in many battles...", Kakashi smiled, to see that Saitou smirked after finishing his cigarette.

"Then so be it... Kakashi, don't be too naive or you might end up being a new Himura Kenshin...", Saitou slowly stood and payed for his plain soba.

But as soon as he made his pace, he was stopped by Sakura.

"Haruno brat, please stay of my way...", Saitou spoke as he stood steadily while gripped his katana tightly.

"Saitou, I need an explaination on how can Naruto changed drastically into the Hitokiri that we now can't even recognized who he is??", Sakura asked curiously.

As usual, Saitou answered the question with a giggle and finally a big violent laugh.

"Don't ask me... ask him for yourself, moron..."

"Why you...!!!", Sakura tried to land Saitou a strong punch but stopped when she saw a front sharp-pointed blade of a katana in front of her face.

"I'm not gonna think twice before I kill you, even though it is violating the Shinsen Gumi Code, which stated that I must avoid fighting for my own sake...", Saitou spoke calmly.

"Hoo hoo, stop it... Saitou!!! Will you violate your Shinsen Gumi Code by just killing an innocent girl??" Kakashi appeared in front of Saitou, holding his kunai.

"Ha ha ha... just consider that's a joke...", Saitou sheathed back his sword.

Saitou, now I see... your sword skill is still that fast and sharp... I guess I have underestimated you... You can't be taken lightly, even though your era as the ferocious captain of Shinsen Gumi 3rd Division has ended 3 years ago...".

Saitou kept in silent, smirked violently which scared Sakura the most.

"Haruno brat, about your question just now... I can't answer it since Naruto has choosed his own way of life... You have to ask him all by yourself, but before that don't forget to wish Naruto to spare your life and not to behead you or maybe even worse, slicing you into two halves... since he doesn't like anybody to ask him the stories about himself, even we just don't give a damn about his past..", Saitou spoke in a mocking tone, which made Sakura more angry of him.

"Saitou-san, in the next two weeks Konoha will be organizing an International Taijutsu Tournament... please ask Naruto-san whether he want to participate the tornament or not, because that is the time for him to show the villagers that he is not a weak person anymore...", Sai spoke in a polite manner.

"I will let Naruto know about it... Sai, what makes you put your whole trust on Naruto??", Saitou asked Sai.

The surrounding became silent for a moment before Sai answered the question.

"I have the same past as Naruto have... That's why I know the reasons on why he ran away to Japan...", Sai smiled after talking a bit about himself.

"It seems that both you and I have the same experiences... and that experiences had pushed us to be stronger and stronger from time to time...", Saitou bowed towards Kakashi and Team 7 before he continued walking with his samurai katana on his side.

Kakshi smiled as he watched Saitou walked away.

"He's the only immortal hero of the Tokugawa Shogunate government who lives until today, thanks to his strong will to survive the bloody era of Bakumatsu...", Kakashi spoke to his Team 7.

"Saitou Hajime, the last wolf of the Shinsen Gumi... The last true samurai who walks with pride and dignity as the most honourable Shinsen Gumi captain across the streets...", Sai added while reading his notes about the history of the Shinsen Gumi.

"The last wolf?? Where have all of his comrades have gone??", Sakura asked Kakashi.

"All of Saitou's comrades died during battles between Shinsen Gumi and the Imperialist in Bakumatsu era... The Shinsen Gumi itself had been disbanded at the end of the Bakumatsu era...", Sai interrupted the conversation.

"Oh, that's so sad... That's why he looks soooo sad even though he often tries to hide his sadness...", Sakura spoke in a sad tone.

"Fate had changed us in many ways. It's our decision to choose our own way of life and to follow it according to our will...", Kakashi spoke in calm and cool tone.

"Oh... well then, let's go back to Konoha main office..", Sakura spoke as she ran towards Konoha main office with Kakashi and Sai, only to see Naruto and Kenshin sitting under a big tree, having a conversation.

"Naruto..."

- end of Episode 8 -

* * *

Author's Note

- Sasuke Shipuuden version and his comrades Juugo, Karin and Sigetsu will appear in episode 9... he he he... surprised??!!

- Stay tune for Episode 9 - Katana, Sake and Cigarette

- Hint for episode 9 - The appearance of Naruto's nemesis, Gentatsu Takatsuki of Aizu Clan to settle the score with Naruto, The appearance of Sasuke and his Sound Village ninja to participate the International Taijutsu Tournament, the fight between Kenshin Himura Battousai and Hyuuga Hiashi at the compound of Hyuuga Mansion.

- Sorry for the late update, I just don't have much time to finish this episode since I have a lot of assignment to do...

- I'm thinking of inserting some sex and romance parts between Sasuke and Sakura, maybe in episode 11 or 12... Guys, I need your opinions on this!!!

* * *


	11. Chapter 9 : Katana, Sake and Cigarette

**Anthem Of My Dying Days**

Author's Note

- Thanks everybody, your never-ending supports are very important to me!!!! Thanks!!!!

- A lot of grammar mistakes... Ahhh, I'm sooo trully madly deeply sorry... (I feel ashame of myself..)

- Correction please!!!! Thanks to my idiot friend who now studies in Japan, my Japanese has become terrible... okay, guys!!! Hitokiri Kage... not Kagerou Hitokiri!!! My mistake!!! Please forgive me... to the specific reader who told me about it, thanks very much!!!

- Back to our stories...

* * *

Episode 9 - Katana, Sake And Cigarette

It was 8.00 a.m in the morning. Kenshin wore his hakama and shougi while slipping his Tou-Aii on his side. It seemed that he was ready for another fight and his face showed that he was fully confident of winning the fight. Slowly he made his pace from the 5-star hotel, leaving Yoshinobu and Okubo sleeping in their rooms. There was no sign of Saitou in their rooms, maybe he woke up early in the morning and practising his Kata or meditating in the thick forest alone, but surely he will bring his cigarette with him.

"Such a heavy smoker...", Kenshin thought while walking alone to the Hyuuga mansion.

Kenshin accidentally met Neji on his way to Hyuuga mansion. Neji himself knew Kenshin very much, since he had witnessed the fight between his Hiashi-sama against Kenshin in order to retrieve the secret technique of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu when Neji was 5 years old. The fight ended with the victory on Kenshin's side, and now Hiashi wanted to have a rematch for a second time against Kenshin.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Neji-san...", Kenshin laid a greeting on Neji.

"Morning, Himura-san... Do you want to go to the Hyuuga mansion?", Neji asked Kenshin while showing his not-so confused face.

"Yes, I'm afraid your Hiashi-sama had challenged me for a second fight... his servant had just sent me a challenge-letter last night...", Kenshin smiled, hiding his Ki.

"About Hiashi-sama, last time he lost in the fight against you... but I'm sure he has practised these 5 years and become more stronger than before...", Neji spoke while showing his arrogant face.

"I hope so... that old Hyuuga will never stop on trying to obtain the techniques of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu...", Kenshin growled.

"Kenshin-san, Hiashi-sama believes that Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu is one of the strong powers that backed-up Meiji government, even the Hyuuga Family didn't have the guts to fight against the Ishin Shishi Hitokiri...", Neji spoke calmly.

"He's wrong... I'm the only Hitokiri who possessed the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu style, not my Hitokiri comrades. We have different styles and techniques, but every styles that we've learned are the style which specialized to kill enemies in any condition... that have made us the strong force to be reckoned 3 years ago...", Kenshin replied back.

"Example...?".

"Hmm, okay... Hitokiri Battousai possessed Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu style, but his former successor Hitokiri Kage possessed The Hell-Fire sword Of Kaguzuchi style... Now, there's a new samurai by the name of Kankyo Kanashii claimed the title of Hitokiri Kage and his sword fighting-style is the dark Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu which is more effective and cruel...", Kenshin explained carefully to let Neji understand about the various sword-fighting styles.

"Naruto..??"

"Yes, no doubt about it...",Kenshin spoke with sad voice.

"So... what are the differences between Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu and the dark Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu??", Neji asked again, to clear his views on Kenshin's and Naruto's sword fighting techniques.

"Yoshinobu Tokugawa and Naruto had modified every single techniques in Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu to be the most effective and cruel ways of killing enemies... okay, example.. I've learned Ryu-shosen but the objective of the technique is to rip off enemies throat, but it seemed that Yoshinobu and Naruto had developed it into Ryu-shozan which can kill the enemies in a single strike by stabbing their heads from upper direction... effective but cruel, isn't it?".

"It's just too cruel and insane... although is it normal for a heartless Hitokiri..", Neji spoke in fear.

"Anyway Neji, just forget about it... The last time I saw you, you're a small cute little boy, but now you've grown up being a chuunin... how's Hinata?", Kenshin changed the topic of their conversation.

"She's fine... more fine after she met Naruto...", Neji replied back.

"Ohh, finally we've arrived... Hyuuga mansion, a place where the strong ninja of Hyuuga Family knelt down upon an unnamed Hitokiri...", Kenshin spoke in calm and happy tone which irritated Neji the most.

They entered the front door in Hyuuga Mansion and walked further into the wide compound of Hyuuga mansion where Hiashi and other Hyuuga Family members trained their Jyuuken.

"Hitokiri Battousai!!! I've a strong feelings that someday we'll meet again, and this time I will snatch those pathetic style of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu from you... you yourself will teach us the techniques of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu...", Hiashi voiced loudly while walking towards Kenshin.

"We samurai have vowed not to teach our own sword-fighting techniques to the ninjas since that is our identity and pride... My owh my, you have absolutely lack of manners towards your own guest recently... at least you should invite me for a tea and treat me kindly as I'm you honourable guest...", Kenshin voiced in a mocking tone.

Hinata and Hanabi giggled to hear Kenshin's insult against their Hiashi-sama, but later after that Neji scolded them to keep their mouth shut.

"How dare you insulted me in front of my family??!!", Hiashi spoke in anger.

Kenshin posed in his Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu Battou-jutsu stance and spoke,"You should thanked my former soul of Hitokiri Battousai for sparing your life because now I'm not gonna kill you, I'm gonna make your life suffer... do you get the point?!".

Kenshin released his Ki and prepared for the second fight against Hiashi while Hiashi quickly moved into Jyuuken stance.

"So this is the source of power for a samurai... The Ki!! Unlike our chakra which we have generated them from our stomach, the samurai generated their Ki from their mind... No wonder a high-skilled samurai always act so calm and full of wisdom...", Neji said to Hanabi.

"I feel so cold... as I'm now watching Himura Battousai slaying the enemies without any mercy at all...", Hanabi spoke in complete fear.

"Neji-kun, watch the movement of Kenshin-san carefully, you can see the points that earned him the title of Hitokiri Battousai...", Hinata spoke to Neji while activating her Byakugan.

"Sister, I don't understand...", Hanabi voiced, showing her confused face.

"Naruto-kun told me to watch every steps of Kenshin-san carefully, because his god-like speed actually earned him the title of the invulnerable Hitokiri Battousai...", Hinata spoke.

"Yup, in Japanese the words of 'Hitokiri Battousai' means the killer who can draw sword in a great speed... that means only a Hitokiri with a great speed just like Battousai have the power to earn the title...", Neji added, while activating his Byakugan.

"Ready, Hiashi?", Kenshin asked, at the same time dashed in his god-like speed towards Hiashi.

"Jyuuken, Hyuuga Gentle fist style... 64 Palms!!!", Hiashi shouted as he attacked Kenshin with his technique.

"Oh, you're great!!! Hiashi-sama!!! Defeat him!!!", voices of other Hyuuga Family members cheering while Neji, Hinata and Hanabi observed the fight carefully.

"What the hell...? Kenshin Himura seems like dodging all of Hiashi-sama's 64 Palms strike!!", Neji voiced out in disbelief.

"Yeah, no strike seems to hit Battousai Himura at all!!! Is this the true power of the most feared Hitokiri in Japan 3 years ago??" Hanabi shouted half-histerically, not believing for what she had seen in front of her Byakugan eyes.

"Is that all you got?? Now it's my turn to let you taste the claw of the dragon!!!" Kenshin spoke while gripping the hilt of his sword hard.

Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu... Lightning So Ryu-sen!!!!

Kenshin arranged his steps while Hiashi-sama fell on the floor of the compound.

That incident surely shocked all of the Hyuuga Family members, causing them be stood, numb for several minutes.

"Get up on your feet, Hiashi... I don't mean to insult the reputation of your family, but is this only the strongest family on Konoha can perform? Come on, Hiashi... You're lucky because I am the one who took your challenge, I wonder what it is gonna be if Yoshinobu Tokugawa a.k.a The Eyes of Insanity took your challenge... Of course he will annihilate the entire Hyuuga Family all by himself!!!", Kenshin slowly sheathed his Tou-Aii while speaking.

"I'll make your life suffer, Himura!!! You will witness your hands to be crippled by me, Hyuuga Hiashi of Hyuuga Family!!!" Hiashi moved back into his Jyuuken stance.

But just before he able to start his pace, Himura suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Damn!!! Kenshin's movement is so fast!!! He is just like teleporting himself to anywhere he like to be!!!", Neji shouted loudly, surprising all of the Hyuuga Family members who were watching the fight.

"No good!!! No good!!!", Hanabi voiced out in fear.

"Goddamit, Battousai!!! Who the hell are you actually??!!", Hiashi screamed loudly in shock.

"Although I've retired from being the famous Hitokiri Battousai 3 years ago, but I still have the touch of the most feared manslayer... for sure!!!".

Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu... KUZURYUSEN!!!!!!!

The entire Hyuuga Family members watched the end of the fight in disbelief when they saw Kenshin delivered nine attacks in the same time with his god-like speed, causing Hiashi to be thrown away to the wall, knocked down unconsciously.

"Sorry guys, Hiashi's not that fast to dodge my Kuzuryusen just like the way I totally dodged his Jyuuken 64 palm strike just now...", Kenshin spoke calmly as he sheathed back his Tou-Aii while watching some Hyuuga Family members ran towards Hiashi and carried him into the house for some heavy treatment.

"Battousai, wait for a second!!! Do you kill Hiashi-sama?", Neji ran towards Kenshin and asked.

"No, I just knocked him down, that's all... Don't worry, he will be okay... I'm sorry for spitting out those insulting words. Actually, that's some piece of psychological warfare, no mean to insult or mocking anybody...", Kenshin smiled before he walked to the front door.

"Battousai!!! Where are you going after this?" Neji shouted as he ran towards Kenshin.

"Hmm, maybe Konoha taijutsu training field... to watch Yoshinobu training.. wanna follow me?", Kenshin smiled, arranged the position of his Tou-Aii on his hip.

"Errr, watching that insane Hitokiri training... how scary!!!", Neji replied in fear, while imagine the way Yoshinobu training, with cruelty and insanity.

"It's okay, at least he didn't kill any young teenagers so far..", Kenshin giggled to see the frightened face of Neji.

* * *

"Naruto..."

"Sakura, don't get so near to me...", Naruto spoke calmly while lighting his cigarette.

Sakura, Sai and Kakashi were shocked to hear those words, immediately stopped their pace.

"I have a samurai in front of me who want to finish our unsolved fight since the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate era...", Naruto kept on speaking while unsheathed his Shinuchi.

Sakura, Sai and Kakashi were so surprised to see a figure walking towards them while unsheathing his samurai sword.

"Gentatsu Takatsuki, a Tokugawa Hitokiri from Aizu Clan...", Naruto spat out his words while watching the samurai stopped his pace in front of Naruto.

"Kankyo Kanashii a.k.a Uzumaki Naruto, Ishin Shishi no Hitokiri Kage... It is so sad to see you here, making friends with those bastard ninjas after retired from being an Imperialist dog...", Gentatu arranged his words while staring sharp at Naruto's eyes.

Sakura was going to dash towards Gentatsu when Kakashi suddenly stopped her.

"Don't interfere, this is a fight between Naruto and the Aizu samurai... make a wrong move and you'll die for sure... samurai don't prefer anybody to interfere in their fight..", Kakashi explained to Sakura while gripping Sakura's arm hard.

The environment became silent, just before each samurai shouted their own name and the name of their technique.

"Gentatsu Takatsuki Aizu, Seiki Kanuma Sword Technique!!!"

"Kankyo Kanashii Ishin Shishi, Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu!!!"

Both of them finally dashed towards each other and made the first attack of the battle.

"Kakashi-sensei, are we now witnessing the real fight between the samurai?? They're just like dashing and wielding their swords, that's all... I'm getting boring with these kind of fighting since there is no use of ninjutsu or chakra at all...", Sakura voiced out just before Kakashi corrected her words.

"Sakura, we use chakra to enhance our ninjutsu, but the samurai use Ki to enhance their sword skills... They generate Ki from their mind, and sometimes they spread their Ki to the surroundings of the fighting site to scare their enemies off... but most of the high-skilled samurai such as Naruto, Saitou and Battousai can repel ninja's ninjutsu or genjutsu which are used to fight against them by creating their defensive Ki around themselves... that's why Saitou managed to defeat Itachi in their fight in Kyoto 4 years ago..", Kakashi explained clearly.

"Wow, I just don't believe it!!! How can the usage of Ki surpassed the usage of chakra?? That's so weird!!!", Sakura spoke loudly while watching Naruto and Gentatsu attacking each other.

"Just like what Kakashi-sensei said just now, we use chakra to enhance our ninjutsu, taijutsu or maybe using genjutsu... the samurai generate Ki from their mind to maximise their power physically and mentally... in order to generate their Ki smoothly and effectively, they have to be calm and being undisturbed by their environment... meditation is the best way...", Sai added while reading his note about Ki.

"Shit, that's so... surprising!!! I just don't believe that foolish Naruto can be so strong and invulnerable just like he is now... He's even has surpassed the ability of Tsunade-sensei!!!". Sakura couldn't believe what was in front of her that time. Naruto was completely strong that even Tsunade couldn't lay her hands on Naruto, but still Naruto possessed the other dark personality of him which had increased his power and abilities to kill enemies without mercy.

"Why don't we just keep quiet and watch the fight now?! I haven't seen a samurai fight for almost 7 years since my last fight against Saitou Hajime!!!", Kakashi interrupted Sai and Sakura's discussion while pointing his finger to Naruto.

"Seiki Kanuma... Satsujin-ken!!!"

"Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu... Ryu-tsuisen!!!"

Naruto jumped into the air to build his momentum, and he dashed down towards place where Gentatsu stood while preparing his Satsujin-ken stance.

K-changgg!!!!!

The air were filled of dust and smoke, causing Kakashi, Sai and Sakura to wave their hands to stop dust from entering their eyes.

"Kakashi-sensei, use your Magenkyou-Sharingan and tell me what is going on there!!!", Sakura ordered.

"Magenkyou-Sharingan!!!"

"Both of them seems not to make their moves yet... from their stances, I can make a conclusion that Naruto had delivered a powerful strike to the Aizu samurai and the Aizu samurai intended to block the attack...", Kakashi spoke and covered his Sharingan eye back.

They saw Gentatsu's sword was broken into pieces, his fore-head protector was completely cut into halves and the rubber-band that he used to tight his hair torn, while Naruto stood steadily and sheathed his sword.

When Naruto sheathed his sword, Gentatsu suddenly kneeled in pain in front of Naruto, holding his chest.

"Gentatsu, you're lucky that I'm not that cruel to kill you...", Naruto spoke in his killer tone.

"Why, Kanashii!!!? A samurai only bounded within his spheres to kill or to be killed in every war he joins, you also know that!!!! Why do you spare my life??!!", Gentatsu shouted, nearly cried.

"Gentatsu, even though people always addressed Hitokiri as demons or killing machine, but they also have the right to live in harmony and peace... Himura Battousai told me that..."

"But I'm one of your opposers 3 years ago, Kanashii!!! Don't you forget that!!!", Gentatsu shouted again just before he felt the sharp blade of a sword laid behind his neck.

"I think I know who's the owner of this Kikuchi Monji Norimune... Saitou-sama!!!", Gentatsu quickly throwed his view to a figure who was standing behind him.

"Where have you been these 3 years, brat? I've told you to join the Meiji police force but instead of joining it, you ran away from Aizu... You've made Tokio-chan cried at least for 3 nights..", Saitou lit his cigarette and spoke.

"Sorry... Saitou-sama... where's Yoshi-senpai?? what about that Battousai-brat?!!", Gentatsu spoke as he looked on his broken sword.

"Yoshinobu... consuming alcohols while Battousai... meditating...".

"So, you know each other very well, eh??", Naruto spoke while asked for a cigarette from Saitou.

"Yup, we're friends just before I fled to Kyoto to join the Shinsen Gumi...", Saitou voiced while watching Gentatsu looking at his broken sword.

"Naruto, we'll be leaving to Kyoto tonight by ship... It seems that Mrs. Konoha and Mr. Kyoto now will be friends after the 20 years of wars... maybe we will be exchanging our knowledges in ninjutsu and kenjutsu... ergh, I hate it very much!!!", Saitou told Naruto.

"Wow, is that true Saitou? Oh, I'm so glad to hear about that!!", Kakashi spoke in happiness.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so... Oh, shit!!! that Nara brat invited me to his house now!! His father wanna meet me... damn, I'm late!!! Gentatsu, Follow me now!!!",Saitou made his pace quickly after throwing his cigarette.

Gentatsu looked deeply into Naruto's eyes and having a deep thought for several minutes. To him, the Hitokiri that spared his life just now was once the famous Hitokiri that even dare to challenge thousands of enemies in front of him. The eyes that killed many enemies, the sword that always hunger for human flesh and bloods. There is no differents between Naruto now and his senior Hitokiri Kage Makoto Shishio, where their principles of lives are the same... The strong lives, the weak dies... survivor is the fittest!!!!

"The eyes... full of the feelings of despair and sadness... no wonder he is trully hunger for battles and loves blood very much... That reminds me of the former Hitokiri Battousai... this world of Hitokiri has completely destroyed his life once and for all..."

The Three Demons of Tokugawa finally left Konoha after accomplishing their mission, to help Japan to achieve peace treaty with Konoha after 30 years of war between the Tokugawa samurai and Konoha ninja.

* * *

Three days later, in a main road to Konohakagure...

"Sasuke-baby!!! I just can't stand it anymore!! Please, I need a hot shower, so why don't we rent a hotel room for tonight... a room for both Shigetsu and Juugo and one special love room for both of us... Auuwww, what a romantic night!!! Isn't it, baby??", Karin asked Sasuke, with her face blushed.

Sasuke watched the weird reaction of Karin with a complete confusion.

"Shigetsu, your informer just now said that my target, Kankyo Kanashii the Shadow Manslayer is in Konoha, right?", Sasuke adjusted te position of his shinobi sword while asking Shigetsu.

"Yup... and you must need a full rest before you face him, since that guy was a former Hitokiri that killed about thousands of enemies during his days as a famous manslayer... sure this guy is a though challenge for you...", Shigetsu walked calmly while carrying his Kubikiri Houcho.

Actually, Kubikiri Houcho was Zabuza's sword. When Zabuza died, Naruto put the sword on his grave, as atone for Zabuza's death. After 4 years, Shigetsu and Sasuke went to Zabuza's grave and that time Shigetsu took Zabuza's Kubikiri Houcho, to symbolise his admiration and dream to be among the famous Mist's Seven Shinobi Swordsmen. Shigetsu also intended to fight against the Three Demons of Tokugawa since this Hitokiri group are the Mist's Seven Shinobi Swordsmen's famous archrival, that means they will be enemies until the end of their lives.

"Is he... a blood lover... just like me?", Juugo asked Shigetsu.

"Yes, Juugo... but I'm afraid he's more insane than you're. He is one of the Japan Imperialist most famous demons... along with Yoshinobu the Demonic Manslayer, Himura Battousai and Miburou Saitou... It's just like he live his life by killing people, drinking their blood, roaming through the silent street of Kyoto, wielding his Nagasone Kotetsu... Urghhh, that guy is totally insane, but he's too fast and strong along with his famous sword technique...".

Sasuke suddenly interested with Juugo and Shigetsu's conversation, and interrupted them with his question.

"What is the name of his sword technique?".

"Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, a famous old technique that only specialized to kill the enemies, not just to knock them down unconscious... no doubt about it...", Shigetsu replied, showing his fear towards Naruto.

"Bastard, that guy is really a totally high-skilled samurai at all... No choice, I must kill him in order to be the strongest and to kill that fuckin' Itachi!!!", Sasuke thought deeply in his mind.

"Any other information about Kanashii?", Sasuke continued asking Shigetsu.

"This Kanashii brat had underwent training with The Three Demons Of Tokugawa... I heard a rumour that one of them had nearly defeated your brother, Uchiha Itachi in their fight 4 years ago in Kyoto... that guy's name is Saitou Hajime, the former captain of Shinsen Gumi 3rd Division...", Shigetsu added.

"I know... He defeated Uchiha Madara and that bastard Itachi by repelling the power of Magenkyou-Sharingan using his Ki...", Sasuke calmly spoke but far in his heart envied Saitou for being that strong to be a step in front of them, leaving the Uchiha clan behind.

"Hey, both of you!!! Do you have no believe that our Sasuke will beat the hell out of this Kanashii??!! That Kanashii is just a human being after all!!! Isn't it right, Sasuke-baby??", Karin shouted towards Shigetsu and Juugo, before she leaned herself on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Yeah, right... you will be wet in your panties when you watch the way Kanashii wields his Nagasone Kotetsu, without any mercy at all..", Shigetsu spoke when they noticed a brownish-greyish haired man in a wine + cigarette shop, buying three big bottles of sake and ten packs of Dunhill cigarette. That guy has two swords on his left hip, and Shigetsu totally recognized one of the samurai's swords.

"Dammit, that sword... Nagasone Kotetsu!!!! Shit, that's The Shadow Manslayer, no doubt about it!!!", He shouted half-histerically.

The famous cruel Hitokiri noticed them staring at him, and replied their stare with a scary smirk and a sharp glare.

All of Sasuke's underlings trembled in fear to see Naruto walked slowly while Sasuke stood calmly, hiding his admiration and fear at the same time.

The guy walked slowly past Sasuke's group, bringing his bottles of sake and his ten packs of Dunhill cigarette with him.

"Kankyo Kanashii... that's you name, isn't it??", Sasuke shouted loudly towards Naruto.

But Naruto suddenly answered Sasuke's question with a big laugh before lighting his cigarette.

"He's dead...", Naruto grinned widely, which irritated Sasuke, Juugo, Karin and Shigetsu the most.

Sasuke drew his sword and pointed it towards Naruto.

"You aren't answering my question yet...", Sasuke released his chakra to form an image of a big rattlesnake which can be seen by his comrades and of course, Naruto himself.

Naruto carefully put down his bottles of sake and his packs of cigarette. At the speed of a blink of an eye, Sasuke felt Nagasone Kotetsu's blade on his throat waiting to slit his throat and at the same time, ended his life forever.

'Sasuke-sama!!!!!", Juugo, Karin and Shigetsu shouted in complete histeria, to watch their master being dragged into the narrow line between life and death by Naruto.

"Lesson number one, never draw your sword against one of the most famous Hitokiri in Japan... If you insist on pointing your lame-ass worthless sword against them, I'm afraid you will watch your throat to be slit and of course there will be some big storms of blood. Anyway, just consider them as our atonement for your death...", Naruto spoke calmly, sheathing his Nagasone Kotetsu back.

Sasuke felt the sweat of fear running wild through his neck.

"Who... Who... are you anyway??!!", Sasuke spoke, trembling in fear.

Naruto released his enormous Ki, which formed the images of the Red Kyuubi and the Black Dragon, totally shocked Sasuke and his comrades of Otokagure.

Naruto burst out in a big insane laughter, watching the Kyuubi image laid its claw on Sasuke's shoulder while the image of the black dragon showed its fierce face just in front of Sasuke's face. Karin, Shigetsu and Juugo were totally shocked to see the images of Kyuubi and the black dragon which were formed by Naruto's Ki, only prayed to be left alive without being slashed or killed.

"Shi... Shigetsu, he's not a human being... for god sake, he's a cruel... and heartless demon!!!", Karin spoke while trembling in fear.

"Please Karin... Don't wet in your panties... Shit, I never found a swordsman who is totally high-skilled just like him... is this the power and speed of the famous Hitokiri in Kyoto? If this Kanashii is very strong, what about the other Hitokiri such as Saitou, Himura and Yoshinobu??", Shigetsu spoke in a slower voice, scared of the hoororful images of Naruto's Ki.

"I'm Kankyo Kanashii, Hitokiri Kage (the Shadow Manslayer)... nice to meet a group of pathetic ninjas just like all of you...", Naruto hid back his Ki and the strong desire to slay in order not to scare other civilians which were passed by.

Karin, Shigetsu and Juugo were relieved to know that the insane infamous Kankyo Kanashii walked away, without cleansing his sword with their bloods.

However, Sasuke clenched his fists tightly as he knew now he has a challenger, a challenger that thousand times stronger than him, and he must do something to defeat that guy.

Kankyo Kanashii...

"His eyes tells me everything about his life as a Hitokiri... despair and sadness...", Sasuke having a deep thought alone.

As the samurai walked away, Sasuke felt something weird about that guy, his appearance reminded Sasuke of a friend who had faced the hatred of Konoha vilagers because the boy failed to bring Sasuke back to Konoha...

"What the hell?? The images of his Ki just now?? Kyuubi!!!! no, no... there must be a mistake... That brat will never achieve this strong and scary power...", Sasuke thought.

But, he could not denied his instinct from telling him that Kankyo Kanashi the Shadow Manslayer has a lot of things in common with the Kyuubi brat...

Uzumaki Naruto...

- end of Episode 9 -

* * *

Author's Note

- Finally, Sasuke has appeared, along with his crazy friends in this episode!!!

- Next episode... Episode 10 - Sweet Dreams.. Stay tune!!!!

- Another hints for next episode - Naruto, Sasuke and their former comrades of Konoha ninja will register themselves to participate the International Konoha Taijutsu Tournament and after that, Naruto buys an i-pod to avoid being surrounded by some boring moments during the 4 days competition.

- Spoiler :- Naruto likes to hear dance and techno songs.. his favourite Dj's? Dj Tiesto, Dj Sammy, Dj Meas, Dj Mistik, Benni Bennasi, Lord Of Acid...


	12. Chapter 10 : Sweet Dreams

**Anthem of Our Dying Days**

Author's Note

- Sasuke finally know about Naruto real identity... one step further!!!

- Thanks everybody for keep on supporting me!!!!

- Not to forget, thanks Rise Against and Billy Talent for their songs... full of deep meanings and mysteries... Love it very much!!!

- Back to our stories...

* * *

Episode 10 - Sweet Dreams

It was a fine night. Winds kept on apprearing, slowly blowing the old leaves and dusts away, a new sign for the upcoming winter. Naruto kept on chopping the dry woods, before arranging them besides his small hut... a cheap preparation to survive during winter. He looked up into the sky and felt a little sad feeling of living his life alone as a former Hitokiri without friends and lover at all, yet he ignored the feelings and continued chopping those woods.

Yeah, the hitokiri will be abandoned wherever they go or live, as they are the cause of sadness among wives whom their husband were killed, mothers whom their sons were slaughtered mercilessly... but nobody will cry in sadness for an orphan just like Naruto. For Naruto, an orphan just like him will never cherish the true feelings of being loved from the day he was born until the day he dies.

"Uh, here comes the season that I hate most...", Naruto growled, unhappy as he noticed the snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

He quickly brought some firewoods to the kiln and slowly put the firewoods one by one into the kiln. Then, he calmly lit his cigarette while watching the snows falling down.

"This winter is just like 3 years ago, the damn season where I lost everything... my Hitokiri movement was disbanded by the new Meiji government, the vicious war has ended, no samurai allowed to bring swords while walking among public, Takatsugi-sama and Katsura-sama died, Saigo-sama rebelled against the new government...", Naruto drowned in his deep thought while sitting in front of the kiln, sipping his sake.

Winter was a season that Naruto hated most, which dragged him into his painful and sad memories of living a life as one of Ishin Shishi no Hitokiri. After finished fighting in Kyoto during winter, Naruto used to colour the white snow along his way back to Ishin Shishi Headquarters with the colour of bloods dripping from his sword... red in colour.

Kenshin's story of the winternight tragedies also made Naruto in a very deep thought, remembering about the famous Battousai cried loudly in sadness to watch his wife, Tomoe Himura died in front of him.

The story of Saitou's most hohourable Shinsen Gumi being swapped-off from Edo to Central Kyoto and the story of Yoshinobu Tokugawa watching his Tokugawa family being exiled from Edo Castle in front of him almost made Naruto finally concluded that winter is the season of sadness and despair, besides the white colour of the snow which showed that the innnocents always live in sadness and despair, while the evils roam along the streets, searching for power, rank, fame and wealth.

Slowly Naruto grabbed his new acoustic guitar and played a song, a song which grasped his memories on his days as a former Hitokiri, and now... as a humble but professional potter.

* * *

_Am I loud and clear, or am I breaking up?_

_Am I still your charm, or am I just bad luck?_

_Are we getting closer, or are we just getting more lost?_

_I'll show you mine if you show me yours first_

_Let's compare scars, I'll tell you whose is worse_

_Let's unwrite these pages and replace them with our own words_

_We live on front porches and swing life away,_

_We get by just fine here on minimum wage_

_If love is a labor I'll slave till the end,_

_I won't cross these streets until you hold my hand_

_I've been here so long, I think that it's time to move_

_The winter's so cold, summer's over too soon_

_Let's pack our bags and settle down where palm trees grow_

_I've got some friends, some that I hardly know_

_But we've had some times, I wouldn't trade for the world_

_We chase these days down with talks of the places that we will go_

_We live on front porches and swing life away,_

_We get by just fine here on minimum wage_

_If love is a labor I'll slave till the end,_

_I won't cross these streets until you hold my hand_

_...until you hold my hand..._

_I'll show you mine if you show me yours first_

_Let's compare scars, I'll tell you whose is worse_

_Let's unwrite these pages and replace them with our own words_

_We live on front porches and swing life away,_

_We get by just fine here on minimum wage_

_If love is a labor I'll slave till the end,_

_I won't cross these streets until you hold my hand_

_Swing life away,_

_Swing life away,_

_Swing life away,_

_Swing life away..._

_(Swing Life Away by Rise Against)_

* * *

"Wow, that's a best song I ever heard!!! Naruto, why don't you start your day with some busker's activities?? Bring your guitar along the streets of Konoha, put down your cap and start singing... maybe you'll earn some cash there...".

Naruto saw three figures in front of him, that seems to be just like the trio of Suna kagure ninja. Kankuro, Temari and an old best-friend of Naruto... Gaara.

"Wow, snow!!! That's cool", Temari spoke in happy voice.

"Yoo, friends... Sorry, I'm too 'emo' on singing this song just now... couldn't noticed your presence earlier...", Naruto spoke calmly, while Gaara grabbed the guitar from his hand... one another song.

* * *

_I tripped, fell down naked_

_I scratched my knees they bled_

_Sew up my eyes, need no more_

_In our game, there is no score!_

_Forgive me father why should ya bother_

_Try honesty, try honesty_

_Hop in your dump truck, reverse for good luck_

_Ride over me, ride over me_

_Insane assault, so sly_

_Your well of lies ran dry_

_I pulled the cord, free fall_

_so high I seem so small!_

_Forgive me father why should ya bother_

_Try honesty, try honesty_

_Hop in your dump truck, reverse for good luck_

_Ride over me, ride over me_

_I Took On The Whole World, fight with the young girls_

_Die tragedy, die tragedy_

_Call me a cheapskate, come on for pete's sake_

_Cry agony, cry agony_

_I'm Insane, Its your fault... Sly!_

_I'm Insane, Its your fault... Sly!_

_Forgive me father, why should ya bother now?_

_Forgive me father, why should ya bother now?_

_Forgive me father why should ya bother_

_Try honesty, try honesty_

_Hop in your dump truck, reverse for good luck_

_Ride over me, ride over me_

_I Took on the whole world, fight with the young girls_

_Die tragedy, die tragedy_

_Call me a cheapskate, come on for pete's sake_

_Cry agony, cry agony_

_Cry agony, cry agony_

_Cry agony, cry agony_

_Cry agony, cry agony_

_(Try Honesty by Billy Talent)_

* * *

"Wow, Gaara... you make me feel amazing... Punk Never Die!!!!", Naruto sipped his sake and lit a cigarette.

"Yup, that sure does... Punk Never Die... Anyway, we have new genre... Emo... Hmm, such as Silverstein, Underoath, The Used, Love Me Butch... It all about scream, emo, angst... sure it's the best!!!", Gaara spoke in a slow tone before he added.

"Naruto, would you give me at least a cigarette of yours?? Now I'm run out of cigarette stock... thank to my sister who likes to dump my cigarette into the rubbish bin..", Gaara quickly took Naruto's cigarette before lit it immediately.

"Gaara!!! Smoking again, huh??! I've told you so many times, it's not so good to smoke!!!", Temari scolded Gaara in front of Naruto, just before both Gaara and Naruto exhaled the smoke in satisfying ways of smoking.

"Naruto, I heard that 3 years ago you ran away to Japan... is that true??", Temari asked, showing her curious face.

"Yup, 3 years... then I made my way back here, rebuild my own life... as a potter...", Naruto got up and slowly walked to the main road.

"Hmm, What about your ninjutsu? Do you get rid of them outta your mind completely?", Kankurou asked Naruto.

"Yup, now I'm a mere citizen with no ninjutsu skills at all..", Naruto spoke as Gaara glared towards him.

"Your face is totally sucks when it comes to lying... What about your Nagasone Kotetsu and Shinuchi?? What Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu is all about??", Gaara smirked while looked straight towards Naruto's eyes.

"I wanna go to the sake shop. It seems that I've run out of sake... Wanna follow me?", Naruto smiled and quickly changed the topic of the conversation, before made his way to the sake shop.

"Yup, wait for us!!!", Temari shouted happily while Kankurou looked wierdly towards his sister.

"Gaara-kun... trouble...", Kankurou whispered into Gaara's ear.

"What??".

"It seems that Temari-neechan has a crush on Naruto... see for yourself... she always speak in admiration about Naruto...", Kankurou continued speaking.

"That's a bad signal...", Gaara spoke, while inhaling the smoke from his cigarette.

While walking to the sake shop, Naruto along with Gaara, Temari and Kankurou met with his former comrades on their way to the sake shop, too.

"Yoo, Naruto... Hei, The Suna ninjas are here too!!! Your destination??", Kiba said in a harsh tone.

"Yoo, doggie... to the sake shop..", Naruto replied, lighting his cigarette.

"Hmm... Doggie, Pink Sluttie, Piggie, Lovely Smokin' Shika, a Hyuuga, Tenten, Shino, Fattie, oh Hinata-chan... to the sake shop, eh?", Temari smiled and spoke, while hugging Shikamaru.

"Hei, of course yes... tonight we gonna celebrate Sakura's 18th years-old birthday, besides that tomorrow is the registration day for Konoha International Taijutsu Tournament... sake will be our main course tonight!!! Naruto, have you taste Sake sooo far??" Ino spoke, understimating Naruto.

But slowly naruto replied her with a cool but shocking answer.

"Sake is my favourite drink... it sure tastes extremely delicious if I add a little human blood from the enemies that I've killed before... wanna try?".

"Euwwww!!! That's so horrorful!!!", Tenten shouted while the other ninjas stared wierdly towards Naruto.

"The true life of a Hitokiri... you'll never understand them...", Naruto spoke as he exhaled the smoke.

"Hei, Naruto... one cigarette, please??", Shikamaru asked Naruto for a cigarette.

"Shikamaru, why don't you buy it for yourself? For a poor teenager who wanna smoke, that's too pity...", Gaara spoke, not realising the cigarette that he used to light just now is Naruto's cigarette.

"Gaara... your words just now was too nice, wasn't it??", Naruto spoke slowly, causing Gaara to grin widely in embarrassement.

"Sorry, Naruto... My mom aren't giving me some extra pocket money this month, because she wanted me to stop smoking..", Shikamaru added.

"Oh, that's cruel... sorry, it can't be helped...", both Gaara and Naruto spoke, while inhaling the smoke from their cigarette.

"Yeah, smoke is full of cruelty... you'll never know when you'll need it, and you can even stop in the middle of having sex with your girl just to have a smoke when you need it...", Shikamaru spoke in sad tone.

"The same goes to us... Temari kicked my ass as soon as she noticed me peeping her naked in the bathroom, thanks to the aroma of my Lucky Strike cigarette...", Gaara added, while looking at Temari.

"The girls in Ishin Shishi Headquarters chased me after noticed me peeping them taking bath in Kyoto public hot spring... but how did they noticed me? Maybe because of the strong aroma of Dunhill...", Naruto spoke calmly before he inhaled the smokes of Dunhill cigarette.

Yeah, smoke is a mistery which is full of cruelty, Shikamaru thought alone.

* * *

The next day, the registration day for Konoha Intenational Taijutsu Tournament.

Naruto took a bath before he wore his hakama, gi and finally his Tokugawa long coat. He slipped his Nagasone Kotetsu and Shinuchi on the right of his waist. He brushed his teeth and lit a cigarette while drinking a big cup of sake before he walked slowly to the registration site.

There he watched many of his former comrades queued up in a line, waiting impatiently to register themselves as he heard all of his former comrades shouted their war-cry before they register.

"Our mission, defeat Naruto!!! Show him the true power of Konoha Ninjas!! YEAH!!!".

"Hmm, you'll never defeat me as long as you don't have the strong desire to kill me...", Naruto muttered alone.

Naruto's calm mood had been disturbed by Sasuke's voice behind him.

"Hei, Hitokiri!! Wanna join this tournament too?? We'll meet in the final soon, so don't insult yourself by losing to other ordinary ninja...", Sasuke whispered to Naruto, while being watched by Karin, Juugo and Shigetsu.

"Don't worry, traitor-teme... I'll surely make your life suffer in the final of this tournament, just wait patiently for the time to arrive...", Naruto replied in a monotone voice, making Sasuke very upset and felt mocked.

"Hei, Naruto!!!! Come on!!!! The registration time will end soon!!!", Sakura shouted, causing Sasuke to be totally shocked, numb for a minute.

"You... Naruto?? I... don't... believe it!!!! Naruto???", Sasuke spoke, trembling in shock.

"Yes, Sasuke... Why? Cannot accept the truth??", Naruto spoke calmly, walking slowly to the registration booth.

"Sasuke-kun... I can't believe we'll meet again... but not in this condition...", Sakura spoke as tears running wild over her cheek.

Kiba, Rock Lee, Neji, Tenten, Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino, Hinata and Sai watched Sasuke in disbelief, to know that the last Uchiha who ran away to Otokagure was finally came back to Konoha while Naruto didn't show any reaction at all, ignored the incident and registered for tomorrow's tournament.

"Sasuke..."

"Sakura... This is my way...", Sasuke couldn't end his words when Sakura suddenly intercepted his words with her half-histerical yell.

"Don't speak to me about your way as a ninja!!! 5 years ago you leave us, running away to our worst enemy Orochimaru!!! Then after that Naruto leave us, too... making his way to Japan to practise the stupid way of the cruel samurai, thanks to the teachings of the Three Demons of Tokugawa!!! At least you don't end up being just like Naruto... Now, Naruto is totally heartless, cruel, inhuman, insane and demonic... thanks to you, sasuke-kun!!! Naruto had once told me about his way of the samurai, and that's totally different from he was before!!! I loved you with all my heart, Naruto took care of you just like you're his brother!!! Isn't it too far enough for you?? Now look what's happening here!!!".

"Sakura, after I've done with the registration, would you tell me on how Naruto can be just like that?? I need to know!!", Sasuke spoke in a quite different tone.

"Okay, Sasuke-kun...", Sakura replied and showing her happy face.

"Naruto!!! Sasuke's here!!!", Sakura shouted towards Naruto, but it seems that Naruto didn't give any responce towards her.

"Naruto, Sa...", Sakura began to shout again as Naruto intercepted her words.

"I'm sorry, Sakura... I have no friend at all... These swords are my trully friend right now... Please don't disturb me anymore...", Naruto slowly put his cigarette on his lips before lit the cigarette. Naruto continued walking slowly along the street.

The suroundings became silent for several minutes, before Sakura cried loudly.

"Naruto!!! Hold on!!! Where are your promise to be the Hokage??1 Where is your cute grin, your previous attitude, your loud boast-off talking, your harsh and foolish action??! At least you still remember about us in Kakashi-sensei's Team 7, aren't you??".

"The memories... I've lost them during my past days fighting during Bakumatsu era in Kyoto... Team 7? Sasuke? Me? You, Sakura? I have no team at all, since I prefer fighting alone than fighting with anybody as apart of the team, such a disgusting ways of a Hitokiri...", Naruto spoke while looking towards Sasuke.

"At least I still remember about Kakashi-sensei's Team 7, even though I ran away to Otokagure on my search for power... but you, Naruto... your search for power had totally blinded your eyes, extremely turned you into a ghost who thinks that he will live alone without friends and comrades... What about your promise to be Konohakagure's Hokage??", Sasuke spoke in anger.

But still Naruto answered Sasuke's question with a simple answer, yet showing his calm face of the famous Hitokiri.

"No promise at all... sorry, fellas... My Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu had given me the power I needed to protect the innocents and the weaks... the Hokage title now has no meaning for me...", Naruto turnedback and continued walking while smoking.

"Who are you without your caring friends, huh??? Naruto??!!", Sasuke shouted towards Naruto, while hugging Sakura.

Naruto gave Sasuke an evil smirk, and answered, "Uzumaki Naruto, Hitokiri no Kage, Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu... he believe that he can stand alone, wielding his swords against the enemies in the battlefield without any friends at all!!!!".

Sasuke was shocked to see Naruto had changed in drastic ways after killing so many enemies during the last years of Bakumatsu Era in Kyoto and Hokkaido. He was still hugged Sakura who is still crying tightly while being drowned in a deep thought about Naruto.

"He's a total cold-hearted ghost... It's a sad way to know that the person who had once taught me about friendship and family bonds now turned into a cold-blooded killing machine who doesn't even know how to compare between his enemies and friends...", Sasuke thought.

Sakura's other comrades only shook their heads in disbelief as they watched the appearance of Naruto's dark personality again. The life of a cruel Hitokiri cannot be changed easily, even though with the deep presence of love... because the Hitokiri's heart had been tainted with blood and cruelty besides their cold-hearted personality. Even Sasuke himself was not this type of cruel and cold-hearted, even though Sasuke always acted cool and angsty.

"Naruto, I know you have devoted all of your life into your world of Hitokiri, by killing and slaughtering your enemies without mercy and compassion at all... but why don't you forget those craps and join us?", Sasuke shouted loudly towards Naruto.

"Once the dragon entered the world of darkness, nobody can't stop it...".

"Nobody...".

Naruto gripped his sword as the ninjas watched him in despair, slowly made his way back to his cottage.

"Say, I must buy an i-pod to avoid them from lecturing me about the importance of friendship again... Okay, I'll buy an i-pod and fill it with disco and techno songs...that's a brilliant idea...", Naruto thought before he walked into an electrical shop and finally bought an i-pod nano.

Naruto felt his Sony Erricson W810i mobile phone vibrating, and quickly checked it.

A message from Saitou Hajime, that will surely important.

An SMS... which stated :-

_Naruto, it's me Saitou. da akatsuki is searching for u now, da same goes 4 the black hats of Kuragasa. b'careful and plz avoid communicating with other people to avoid them being involved in2 ur fight. plz sharpen ur sword skills and technique coz' from now on, the government gives u the total license to kill. gtg!!! _

"Well, well, well... Thanks Saitou, this will totally bring me back into the bloody cruel memories of Bakumatsu era...", Naruto smirked showing his devilish face of the famous Shadow Manslayer while continuing his walking alone in the dark.

_Being alone..._

_Fighting and killing..._

_The evil world of Hitokiri..._

_His life will be completely ruined..._

_As he will continue his fight against the evils and corruptions... _

_No friends and families... _

_Just a samurai and his swords alone, walking through the dark night... _

_Roaming the dark streets of Kyoto, wielding his swords to uphold the true justice..._

_Protect the weaks as well as the innocents, let no love enters the true cruel heart of a Manslayer forever as it will cause destruction... _

_Let the dragon chooses its way of life, let no question asked about how and why do it chooses the way..._

- End of Episode 10 -

* * *

Author's note

- I'm trully apologize for my not-so frequently update these days.. some big problems keep on haunting me...

- Stay tune for Episode 11 : The Fight Starts

- In chapter 11, Naruto will face Kisame from Akatsuki (midnight), but their fight has interrupted Sasuke having sex with Sakura (when Naruto was kicked into the room where Sasuke and Sakura are having "ah... ah... oh yeah...")

- The tournament finally started!!! first, Naruto vs Sakura... STAY TUNE!!!!


	13. Chapter 11 : The Fight Starts

**Anthem Of My Dying Days**

Author's note

- Finally, episode 11 has arrived!!!! All I can say is gomenasai, sorry for this lateness... too many crisis I've to face in order to finish this episode...

- Thanks everybody for keep on supporting me!!! I'll never forget you guys!!!!

- Aha, XllShadowllX (thanks for your review)... Naruto will remains unchanged, but he will adapted to the way he is behaving before...

- Okay, back our stories...

* * *

Episode 11 - The Fight Starts

"Hei Itachi, are you sure Kanashii is here? If we fail to convince him to join us, Leader-sama will absolutely pissed-off with us.."

"Kisame, please have at least a little piece of believe in me... I know about that and I'm sure he's here, in Konohakagure..."

"Hei Itachi... Kanashii is actually the Kyuubi brat, right? I'm a little bit confused about Leader-sama's order to us to convince him joining the Akatsuki... why don't we just hunt him and swap him off? that's easy, ne??"

"Fuck you, Kisame... He learned the art of the samurai from the Three Demons of Tokugawa, I'm not so sure if I can kill him... He's too powerful for us, you know?"

"Oh... the Three demons of Tokugawa? who are they?"

"Your former Mist's Seven Shinobi Swordsmen's nemesis... Kenshin Himura Battousai, Yoshinobu Tokugawa, Miburou Saitou Hajime... I've once nearly being defeated by one of them, Miburou Saitou Hajime if I'm not mistaken... He's too cool and calm, yet so cruel and heartless... I'll never forget the way he launched his Gatotsu, extremely fast and unpredictable..."

"Oh... so that Kanashii a.k.a Naruto is another clone of them?"

"Yup, no doubt about that... Let's go!!! Don't forget warn Deidara and Tobi not to attack Naruto, because I need to have a little word with Naruto..."

"Yes, Itachi-cute..."

"Don't you ever call me with that name, motherfucker!!!"

"But you're too cute... even Leader-sama call you with that name..."

"Grrrr... get lost!!!"

"..."

* * *

Konohakagure, at night...

Sasuke rented a room, opposite to his comrades' room in a traditional hotel near Naruto's cottage. He bumped his restless body on the bed, drowned himself in a deep thought about Naruto's words that evening.

_"Once a dragon entered the world of darkness, you'll never stop it..."_

Sasuke got up from his bed and walked to the balcony of the room, after he leaned his sword on the wall.

He inhaled the fresh air of the environment, and spontaneusly gave a smirk. His eyes attarcted by a figure, Naruto was sitting in front of his kiln while drinking sake and smoking at the same time... an usual lifestyle of a lone samurai...

"Naruto... smoking??? Drinking sake??? What a lame activities by a famous Hitokiri!!! He's totally different from he is before... I never saw him alone, staring at the sky before as he always sitting in the Ichiraku Ramen stall with us, talking loud about his dream to be the Hokage... but now, everything's ruined completely...", Sasuke wondered far away, while watching Naruto sipping his sake after exhaling the smokes, not to forget... listening to his new i-pod...

"Wow, That's so incredible!!!! These techno songs are totally awesome!!! Thanks i-pod!!! I should download more techno songs from Limewire... damn!!!", Naruto shouted loudly, causing Sasuke nearly fell down from his room's balcony.

"Dammit, he's listening to his new i-pod... I thought he's staring to the sky just now!!! God damn you, Naruto!!!", Sasuke cursed Naruto after climbed up to his balcony.

Sasuke heard somebody knocked the door of his room. He quickly opened the door and surprised to see Sakura in front of the room, crying.

"Come in..", Sasuke spoke in a calm tone.

* * *

Naruto turned off his i-pod when he noticed a man wearing the Akatsuki cloak standing in front of him. The man was also bringing a huge sword, which was known as Samehade the Chakra Eater.

"Kisame, it has been a long time since our meet here, in Konoha 5 years ago...", Naruto slowly slipped his Nagasone Kotetsu on his right waist while talking. Then, Naruto slowly lit his cigarette as he stood steadily towards Kisame.

"That's nice, brat... My Samehade can't eat Ki, unlike chakra... you're trully amazing, even though I hate to admit it!!", Kisame grinned widely.

"Please, Hoshigaki Kisame... Kill me if you are totally able to!!", Naruto shouted loudly, releasing his dark Ki.

"Kyuubi brat, I'm here not because I want to kill you, but it's because that cute Itachi wanted to have a nice conversation with you... but anyway, why don't we stretch ourselves before Itachi arrives here?? You and me, a sword-fight... I just wanna witness the true power of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu by myself!!!", Kisame gripped his Samehade as he swung into action against Naruto in a sword-fight.

The fight between a huge chakra-eating broadsword of an Akatsuki member and a 0.7 metres high-quality katana of a famous Hitokiri has just begun.

"Hoshigaki Kisame... Mist's Seven Shinobi Swordsmen, Samehade!!!"

"Uzumaki Naruto... Ishin Shishi no Hitokiri, Nagasone Kotetsu!!!"

"Fair and Square... Fight!!!"

* * *

"Sasuke, I'm trully disappointed with Naruto today... He has lived here for two weeks, a long time for an ordinary ninja to settle down and starting a new life... but why don't he change himself to the way he was before? Is it too difficult for him?", Sakura spoke in sadness while crying.

"You have to understand what Naruto have passed through... you have to accept that he's not the same Naruto before... We're absolutely different from him, as he chooses to be part of the Ishin Shishi Hitokiri movement...", Sasuke comforted Sakura, with nice words.

"Go to hell with Ishin Shishi!!! They are the one who should be blamed for killing the old Naruto and replaced Naruto's warm-hearted ninja soul with the horrified soul of a blood-thirsty Hitokiri that we don't even recognize who he is!!!".

"But then you still have to accept to truth... I know its hard to see someone who had taught us about friendship and family, finally has ended-up being a cruel manslayer who don't even care about friendship and family anymore..."

"Sasuke-kun..."

"Naruto had told me about something I don't expect him to tell... He had told me that a blood-thirty Hitokiri just like him won't need any friends of families at all, as he will stand and wield his sword against the world all by himself...", Sasuke spoke with a calm face, hiding his sad and worried feelings about Naruto.

"Sasuke-kun, what must I do to revive the former soul of Naruto?? I just can't stand watching him acting more cruel and cruel as the time passes by!!! Please, Sasuke-kun!!! Even Shikamaru told me that this new version of Naruto is just an empty soul, only filled with cruelty, despair, sadness and a very strong desire to earn his satisfaction by slaughtering his enemies... I just wanna see his warm smile back!!! I don't want to see this newly brain-washed Naruto showing his evil smirk or his face of satisfaction after killing people anymore!!!", Sakura kept on yelling while crying.

Sasuke hugged Sakura tightly and suddenly kissed her lips, gently.

"Just like what Naruto had told us before, let the time be the judge... I'm sure that brat will come back to us...", Sasuke whispered to Sakura's ear before kissed her again.

The wind started to blow strong as both ninja kissed again and again, slowly they took out their clothes one by one. Then, Sakura laid down slowly onto the bed while looking towards Sasuke's eyes with the feeling of love.

The warm sensation that she never cherish before...

* * *

"HA HA HA!!! Good, Kisame!!! Your presence has made me think that now I'm on the streets of Kyoto during Bakumatsu era!!!"

"The same goes for me, Naruto!!! It's an honour to fight against you!!! Heaven, here I come!!!!"

The sound of sword colliding to each other broke the peaceful night, causing some Konoha ninjas to be surprised to hear those sounds.

Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Ryu-shozan!!!

Water Windmill technique!!!

K-changgg!!!!!

Kisame's attack barely injured Naruto's chest as Naruto was very fast to dogde the attack and gave Kisame a kick on his face. Both sword-fighters moved to their defensive positions when Naruto quickly sheathed his Nagasone Kotetsu and dashed in his god-like speed towards Kisame.

Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Lightning Battou-jutsu!!!

Water Tornado Technique!!!

K-changgg!!!!!

"Gotcha!!!!", Kisame shouted loudly as he successed blocking Naruto's fast sword-drawing technique.

"What the fuck...", Naruto thought for a second before he felt a kick on his cheek, throwing him to the hotel where Sasuke had rented.

* * *

"Ah... Ah.. Sa... Sasuke-kun, faster... faster... please..."

"Ah.. Ah... Sa... Sakura-chan, I love you..."

"Me... too, Sasuke-kun...", Sakura spoke in happiness as she had finally passed through the night of romances.

The night that she only dreamt of.

The night that she always hoped for it to come.

But the moment of romances between both of them had been interrupted by the sound of Naruto bumped on the room's wall, and finally crushed the wall.

"KISAME!!! NOW YOU HAVE MADE ME FEEL THE TOTAL FEELING OF BLOOD THIRSTY!!!!", Naruto shouted as he stood up, making his sword as a standing stick for him to stand up properly.

"Naruto!!!!!!", Sakura yelled as she watched Naruto spat some blood from his mouth.

"Oh shit, my teeth..."

"Naruto!!! What are you doing here?? You have ruined the wall of my room!!!", Sasuke shouted in shock to watch Naruto tore his own hakama, showing his black rounded-collar T-shirt.

A black t-shirt with a nice 'kanji' caligraphy of Ishin Shishi on it.

Ishin Shishi, the organization that had raised many powerful and ferocious Hitokiri to fight against Tokugawa Shogunate regime and established the new Meiji government.

The organization that finally ruined Naruto's life, after what they had done to Himura Battousai.

"That sharkie managed to land me a powerful kick... hmm, good!!! Yeah, that's too excellent!!!"

Still Naruto ignored the surroundings of the room and his injuries, while his eyes stared sharply towards Kisame.

Kisame walked slowly, entering the room as he spoke.

"Is this the power of the so-called magnificient Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu?? Hey brat, you're not fighting seriously... are you?!!!".

"Kisame, you have awaken the Shadow Manslayer's ultimate desire to kill!!!", Naruto shouted again while posing on his Mizoguchi Haitto-ryu Gatotsu stance.

"Oh, it's nice to see a young Uchiha prodigy having sex with a pink-haired kunoichi here... Naruto, I think they're just a bit of disturbance to us, why don't you let me kill them?", Kisame spoke in a mocking tone while his eyes glared towards naked Sasuke and Sakura which still lying in the bed, frightened.

"Ha ha ha... Leave them alone. It would be some sort of embarrassment to watch them dying in agony, naked!!! Well... to earn a big satisfaction for yourself, KILL'EM ALL!!!", Naruto lit his cigarette, standing steadily while holding his swords tightly.

Both Sasuke and Sakura were extremely afraid to watch Kisame and Naruto staring sharply towards them. Samehade and Nagasone Kotetsu were prepared in a fully slaughtering mode, while Naruto and Kisame stood steadily in their attacking position.

But suddenly...

"hmm... hmmm... hmmm... ha... ha... ha... HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!", Both Kisame and Naruto giggled and finally burst out a crazy insane big laughter.

Naruto laughed madly while his left hand covered his face, while Kisame laughed just like an insane crazy man while his finger was pinted towards Sasuke and Sakura.

"Just kidding!!! Don't worry, fuckers... just continue your filthy works... We won't disturb you... but if you don't mind, can we join??!!", Naruto spoke slowly in an insulting tone, causing Kisame to laugh as loud as he can.

"Hei, Naruto!!! You should ask that old Jiraiya to come here... maybe he'll get some new ideas to continue his Icha Icha Paradise!!!! Ha Ha Ha!!!", Kisame added, while laughing.

Sasuke angrily shouted directly towards Naruto,"Naruto-teme!!! I'll kill you after this!!!".

"Well, it's okay for you to have such a high desire... but the question is, are you able to kill me??!!", Naruto replied in his calm killer tone.

"Hei, Naruto!!! You should be ashamed of yourself!!! We did it for the sake of our love!!!", Sakura yelled towards Naruto, but Naruto still laughed loudly.

"Love?? What is that??!!! We Hitokiri don't need love in every aspects of our lives!!! I've dedicated all of my life to protect the innocents and weaks, fighting to create a new future for the Japanese and weilding the sword against the corrupt and wrong-doing acts of the shogunate!!! Let no question asked about my principle!!!"

"Enough of your fuckin' mumbo jumbo, Naruto!!! I'm not so impressed with your sword-wielding skills, so what are you going to do about that??", Kisame suddenly spoke, interrupted Naruto and Sakura's conversation.

"How?? That's so simple!!!", Naruto replied while preparing on his Gatotsu position.

"Wow!!! That's Mizoguchi Haitto-ryu Gatotsu, Saitou Hajime's technique!!!".

"Watch this clearly Sasuke, Sakura... I'll show you on how I earned the title of Hitokiri Kage, the successor of the title of Hitokiri Battousai..."

Mizoguchi Haitto-ryu, Gatotsu!!!

Naruto dashed in his god-like speed, pierced the sharp-pointed blade of his sword into Kisame's arm.

"Arghhh!!! What the hell...!!!", Kisame shouted when Naruto sword stabbed his shoulder, automatically dragged him to the thick wall of the hotel.

Booomm!!!

Kisame hit the thick wall, causing it to broken into pieces... before he laid down on the floor with a loud bump.

Naruto stopped his movement, slowly walked towards Kisame.

"Aku Soku Zan, this is the way how we treat the evil one... without mercy and compassion!!!", Naruto spoke slowly as he was ready to launch another Gatotsu when somebody interrupted the fight.

"Magen-kyou Sharingan, Tsukuyomi!!!!"

"Itachi!!! I knew it!!!", Naruto immediately repelled Itachi's genjutsu technique with his defensive Ki. Kisame, Sasuke and Sakura were shocked to watch Naruto repelled Itachi's deadly technique easily.

Itachi... Itachi... Itachi...

"Itachi!!! You will die tonight!!!", Sasuke shouted loudly while wearing his clothes before slipped his sword on his back.

"I have no time for you, useless little brother... now shut up and continue your sex story-tale with that pink slut...", Itachi spoke as he kicked Sasuke, causing Sasuke to be thrown to the wall of his room.

Itachi directed his head towards Naruto, which was still standing still while holding his sword.

"Good, Naruto... Did Saitou Hajime teach you that??", Itachi slowly walked towards Naruto while smirking.

"None of your business, weasel... Kisame said that you have something to discuss with me... I would like to know about that...", Naruto sheathed is Nagasone Kotetsu.

"Mind your own language, Naruto... it's so impolite to insult your future comrade...".

"What are you talking about? I'm your enemy, Itachi... don't you ever forget about that.".

"Naruto, our Akatsuki Leader-sama wishes to have you as apart of our organization... Akatsuki had stopped the operation on hunting demons such as Kyuubi, Jinchuuriki or other demons... our missions now are annihilating other missing-nin groups which are opposing us and finally, destroys Otokagure totally once and for all... no harm will be caused towards Konohakagure, I promise..."

"Hey, an evil person spits out evil words... why should I trust you?", Naruto spoke while lighting his cigarette.

"Naruto, we are the man of our words... after all, we are specialized and high-skilled ninja... we can kill you if we want to...", Itachi spoke.

"Wow, that's sooo impressing!!! Okay okay, but can you give me time to think about it??".

"What about a month? I'm sure you will have much time to think about that, and I hope you will join us since Leader-sama really want to meet you ...", Itachi spoke as he treated Kisame's shoulder.

"Kisame... Let's go!!!"

Both of them disappeared after Itachi waved his right hand to Naruto, a sign of peace.

Naruto sheathed back his Nagasone Kotetsu, while picking up his torn hakama and his Shinuchi. His eyes stared up straight to the sky, while his hand still holding the cigarette.

"No... no... I must not join them, for the sake of Japan and Konoha... Words from an evil person must not be trusted...", He said while smiling to the sky.

"Ishin Shishi will be Ishin Shishi, Shinsen Gumi will be Shinsen Gumi, Hitokiri will be a Hitokiri forever... nothing will change this fact!!"

Naruto kept on smiling to the dark sky until a voice suddenly interrupted him.

"Naruto!!! You're such a jerk!!! I'm gonna kill you right now!!!", Sakura yelled towards Naruto.

"What are you talking about, missy? I just don't understand."

"You... you... You have insulted the power of love, claiming that a damn Hitokiri just like you won't need love!!! What a kind of person are you??!! Naruto that I know never talk something bad about his feelings!!! You're not Naruto!!!"

"Ceh... love... friendship... family... do you ever think of that when you have to asassinate people?? Please Sakura, I will certainly kill my own friends and families if the Japanese government ordered me to kill them..."

"Damn you Naruto!!! I'll kick your ass tomorrow, in Konoha Taijutsu Arena!!!"

"I'm glad to hear some useless words from you... there goes your worthless nindo again, until then...", Naruto walked slowly from the hotel, leaving Sakura and Sasuke behind.

* * *

The next day...

"I'm proud to pronounce all of you that today will be the first day of Konoha Taijutsu Tournment!!!"

A loud voices of cheering can be heard from the Konoha Taijutsu Arena, where the tournament will be running for 4 days.

All of the participants were standing with proud and fear at the same time, except for Naruto which still smoking without even feeling guilty or tensed at all.

"As usual, this year we have a foreign participant from our new ally, Japan!!! Using two samurai katana named Nagasone Kotetsu and Shinuchi... Kankyo Kanashii!!!", the commentator announced as the crowds cheered loudly while clapping their hands.

Tenten, Sakura, Neji, Kiba, Rock Lee, Sasuke, Sai and other Konoha ninjas who participated in the tournament glared Naruto, who was still smoking without even giving any attention to the noisy surroundings of the arena.

Sakura noticed that Naruto brought a new sword with him, which its blade was completely black in colour.

"This unnamed katana was a great masterpiece of Shakku Arai the famous sword-maker in Kyoto... the black-coloured blade of this 'old friend' is the best example to show all of you on how me and my 'old friend' had struggled hard to survive in Bakumatsu era...", Naruto suddenly spoke, surprised Sakura and Sasuke who were observing the sword carefully.

"Why does the colour of the blade of your sword is black?? Do you seal it with your chakra??"

"Nope... it's just too many blood spilled on my 'old friend', that's why the blade changes its colour from silver to black... another memories of my past life as the Shadow Manslayer...", Naruto showed his evil smirk, scaring Sakura and Tenten, whose standing behind Sakura.

Their conversation were interrupted when the commentator annouced the first fight of the tournament which will be started after that.

Naruto took his place on the participant's site, waiting to be called into the arena.

"Shit, there's too many participants here... I wonder when I'll fight and who's my opponent in this first stage? Hope I'm strong enough to spare my opponent's life instead of killing him or her... Oh god, please help me to control my strong demonic desire to kill just for these four days only...", Naruto drowned in his deep thought as he watched the fight between Neji and Sai.

The long fight ended when Neji finally defeated Sai using his ultimate Jyuuken style, Shugohakke Rokujyuu Honshou.

"Next, Kanashii and Sakura!!! Now we'll be watching the Konoha great chakra controlling skills versus the Japanese ultimate sword-wielding speed... Who will win this fight??", the commentator anounced the next fight loudly as the crowds cheered heavily for Sakura, hoping that Sakura will win the fight.

Naruto slowly walked down while throwing his cigarette to the ground, and stood steadily towards Sakura.

He immediately released his dark Ki, and threw his devilish smirk to Sakura.

"Naruto, I'll do anything to get you back into the behavior you used to be before!!!", Sakura led her war cry and dashed fast towards Naruto. She quickly sealed her fist with a large amount of destructive chakra.

"You'll never lay your hands on me if you are still that emotional...", Naruto spoke as he disappeared from the place where he stood before and appeared suddenly behind Sakura, gripping her right hand.

"His speed is totally incredible!!! Shit!!", Sakura spoke to herself, completely shocked.

"Okay, some tips for you to kill a demonic manslayer just like me... throw away your feelings of love, compassion and kindness!!! Don't let them haunt you forever!!!"

Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Ryu kan-sen Kogarashi!!!

"Kawarimi!!!!", Sakura shouted as she turned into a log when Naruto attacked her.

Naruto quickly posed in his usual battou-jutsu stance and jumped up high, a moment before Sakura dashed out from the ground where Naruto stood before he jumped.

"I'm not too stupid to be fooled easily by your lousy techniques...", Naruto gripped the hilt of his sword tightly before he prepared to attack Sakura.

Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Ryu tsui-sen!!!

Without wasting any time, Sakura used activated Henge and threw it to Naruto, causing Naruto to dodge the big-sized shuriken and arranged his position back to Ryu tsui-sen style.

Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!!!

Naruto stopped his attack and smirked.

"Oh my god, that's too awesome!!!", Naruto spoke as Sakura grinned and placed her clones around Naruto. Slowly Sakura gathered her chakra on her fist and...

"Hyaaahhh!!!", Sakura and her clones attacked Naruto in every corner, without giving Naruto any room to breath.

Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Ryu mui-sen!!!

Naruto sudden movement finally drew Sakura's clones off, leaving Sakura kneeled on the ground, holding her ears which suddenly bleed.

Slowly Naruto walked towards in front of Sakura, while gripping his 'old friend' hard.

* * *

Meanwhile, Tsunade and Jiraiya were watching Naruto's fight from the special Hokage room with interest, hoping that Naruto wouldn't kill anybody at least for these four days.

"Tsunade, I sense something weird from Naruto... his face shows us that he's battling with his strong desire to kill...", Jiraiya spoke slowly, attracted Tsunade.

"Your're right... I'm hoping for this moment to come for a long time... I'm sure you're hoping the same as me aren't you, Jiraiya??"

"Yeah... but still I can't forget my failure as one of Naruto's sensei compared to that Himura Battousai of Ishin Shishi... Damn that Battousai!!! Protect the weak and innocents, slay the evil instantly, bullshit!! In the end, Naruto has to kill people and finally turns into what he is now!!!".

"Blah, just forget about it... we can just keep on hoping that Naruto will someday turns into the real Naruto that we know...", Tsunade spoke, comforting Jiraiya who was drowning in his deep thought while watching Naruto stood steadily without any fear and emotion at all.

"Hmm, sake and hot busty girls will completely cure the pain in my heart...", Tsunade smiled when she heard Jiraiya spoke and sighed, before she threw her punch on Jiraiya.

"Damn, he is still that lousy pervert old-sannin after all..."

* * *

"Never underestimate me or you'll die in agony here...", Naruto spoke loudly as he sheathed his 'old friend'.

"Shit, my ears... what have you... done just now??", Sakura spat out her words, while kneeling on the ground and holding her ears... that was so painful.

"I'm drawing and sheathing my sword in a great god-like speed, creating a large quantity of destructive supersonic wave which can cause damage to those who have sharp and excellent hearing senses... simple but deadly, isn't it??".

"Naruto, you really want to kill me aren't you?? Go ahead, just kill me!!! I don't wanna live in this world, watching you living with your sadness and despair just like what you're now!!! Kill me!!", Sakura shouted towards Naruto, but still Naruto ignored her and lighting his cigarette.

"Just say 'I Surrender' and everything will be fine... I won't kill you and your ninja comrades...", Naruto spoke slowly while exhaling the smokes.

"But... but why Naruto?? I... I... I just don't get it!!! You're one of the Demons of Tokugawa and now you are saying that you're not gonna kill me??"

"I've promised to myself in front of Konoha memorial site that I will not kill any Konoha ninjas, except if they really want me to die... for the sake of my new daimyo a.k.a master Tsunade-bachan, I'm not killing my former comrades and other Konoha ninjas until the day I die... that means now I'm working for Konoha again for the rest of my life..", Naruto walked slowly passed Sakura.

His words completely touched Sakura's heart, causing her to cry. She felt that her lost comrade was finally getting nearer and nearer to her.

"Naruto, I surrender... You win!!!!", Sakura uplifted her right hand and shouted.

"Finally we have a winner after watching some heavy action-packed scenes... The winner is Kankyo Kanashii!!!!", The commentator announced as the crowds cheering loudly.

That time Naruto gave Sakura a warm smile, a smile that is impossible to be seen from a cold-blooded Hitokiri who had killed thousands of his enemies during wars and battle.

"Thanks Sakura... I'll never forget your kindness...", Naruto spoke as he continued walking to the exit door of the arena.

"Naruto...", Sakura smiled while sobbing as she ignored tears running over her cheek.

* * *

Naruto was walking out from the arena when someone landed his hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"That's good, Naruto... winning a fight without killing your enemies...".

"Oh, Jiraiya-sensei... still writing Icha Icha paradise huh?? I like your story, it's some kind of a lil bit too harsh, pornographically, for a heartless manslayer like me...", Naruto spat out his words when he noticed that it was Jiraiya who patted his shoulder just now.

"Heh, a heartless manslayer... to me, you're not a heartless person since you can make Sakura-chan cried in happiness just now... you think I don't know about that?? Naruto, I'm Jiraiya the Frog-hermit, one of the greatest Sannin!!!", Jiraiya posed in his usual introduction style, but Naruto just ignored him and opened his bottle of sake.

"Correction please, you're Jiraiya the greatest pervert Sannin... Nah, a cup of cold sake for you... cigarette??", Naruto gave Jiraiya a cup of sake.

"Wooooaaa, are you consuming alcohols??!!! I just don't believe you've grown too matured since your runaway to Japan!!!! That's toooo obvious!!!!"

"Cold sake reminds me of my past day as a cold-hearted Hitokiri, while warm sake reminds me of my failure to become the number one ninja in Konoha... yeah, they're different for sure... too many sad experiences I've faced, and they finally shaped me to be just like what I am now...", Naruto spoke before he sipped his sake.

Jiraiya saw Naruto eyes which were full of sadness and despair, the feelings that even Naruto couldn't hide from every person he met before.

"Relax, samurai-boy... we can't change the history, why don't we just let them go and make our own way to the future?".

"Hmm, for the first time your words seems make senses at all... ", Naruto slowly walked, drunk of his cold sake.

"So you think all of my words before are useless??!! Even that big-breast Tsunade admits that all of my words are right!!!".

"Oh, I like women with big breast...", Naruto spoke slowly, and suddenly noticed Tsunade was standing right in front of him.

"Drunk again?? Naruto... Naruto...", Tsunade hugged Naruto and squeezed him tightly.

"Tsunade-bachan, I can... barely... breath... let... go... of.. me!!!"

"Oh... uh... sorry...", Tsunade released Naruto, after she saw Naruto's face turned red and finally blue...

"Why don't we have some moments of drinking sake in my favourite bar there?? Their self-made sake are really good!!!", Tsunade pulled Naruto's hand and started running to the bar.

"Naruto, come with us!!! Let's have some chat and discussions, while drinking sake... isn't it romantic??", Jiraiya spoke, surprised to see Naruto smiling.

"That's not romantic, dumbass... we call that as the old folk's discussions!!!", Naruto immediately intercepted Jiraiya's words.

"Yeah, whatever..."

Tsunade watched Naruto's face and smiled towards him.

"Thanks for being the real Naruto today... I know you're battling with your strong desire to kill during your first fight earlier... it's nice to have the real Naruto back...", Tsunade spoke as she let tears dripping wild from her eyes.

"Whatever, Hokage-sama... from now on, my life is yours and you're my daimyo... forever!!!!", Naruto spoke slowly as they made their way to Tsunade's favourite bar.

- End of Episode 11 -

* * *

Author's Note

- Yeah, finish finally!!!

- Next episode, Episode 12 : Mirror, Mirror... stay tune!!!!

- Hint for next episode : Naruto vs Neji and a lil bit of conversations between Naruto and Kurenai-sensei at Konohal Memorial site...


	14. Chapter 12 Mirror, Mirror

**Anthem Of My Dying Days**

Author's note

- Sorry for the late update, I think I haven't update this story for a long time, I guess.

- With a box of cigarette and a coke, I have a feeling that now is the time to wrap it up!!!

- Anyway, thanks for the reviews... more reviews, more updates coming soon, yeah!!!!

- Okay, back to our stories...

* * *

Chapter 12 : Mirror, Mirror

It was a cold night, with the cool breeze that even the toughest one can feel it on his face. Of course it is not the Ki or the sensation of killing, only a normal cool wind, as a sign of there will be winter coming soon. Winter season, the season that Naruto hate most.It is the season where he lost contacts with his comrades including his sensei Kenshin Himura, his Ishin Shishi no Hitokiri movement, his rival Miburou Shinsen Gumi and the old-samurai-style Japan. the Konoha Taijutsu Tournament is getting hot, with only 4 semi-finalist could make their way in, with much of blood and sweat sacrifice. But for Naruto, no sweat and no blood which can signifies his own effort, and that is how he hate fighting with the nins who are much weaker than him. He always memorizes on how he enjoys fighting against the stronger samurai, which can cause him at least severe wounds and fatal injuries. Example, too many... Makoto Shishio of the Shadow Hitokiri, Saitou Hajime of the Shinsen Gumi, Gentatsu Takatsuki of the Aizu Clan, Miyamoto Hitomi of the Edo Imperial Guards and many more. And that is how he atone for the samurais that he killed, in order to restore the Meiji government and to defend the weak and innocent citizens.

Naruto's rival in the semi-final fight is a jounin that he had once cross-sword against, a jounin from the Hyuuga Clan. A jounin which had once an arrogant nin, who always talk about fate and destiny which makes him stronger.The fate and destiny which had pushed him to the fullest. Unfotunately, this kind of fate and destiny joke is another sense of humor for Naruto, since he himself do not believe in fate and destiny. Remember, the recent Naruto is not the way Naruto before, although he share the same thinking methods as the former Naruto. The recent Naruto doesn't hesitate to tell the truth, even though it hurts, adding his nasty words of "motivation" and the stories of his struggle to survive during the Bakumatsu Era.

Slowly, he took his guitar, and started to play a few songs, as an exercise to get used with his guitar, a normal things to do before you start to play some difficult songs that requires advanced plucking and strumming techniques. He then stopped for a while to light a cigarette, before he started to play a song, a song which had been his memories for the fallen comrades during his fights against the Tokugawa Shogunate regime. Not far from Naruto's small hut, there sat Kakashi, Sakura and Sai, having their eyes on Naruto, watching him playing guitar.

* * *

All last summer in case you don't recall,  
I was yours and you were mine forget it all,  
Is there a line that I could write,  
Sad enough to make you cry,  
All the lines you wrote to me were lies...

The months roll past the love that you struck dead,  
Did you love me only in my head?  
Things you said and did to me,  
Seemed to come so easily,  
The love I thought I'd won you give for free...

Whispers at the bus stop,  
I heard about nights out in the school yard,  
I found out about you...

Rumors follow everywhere you go,  
Like when you left and I was last to know,  
You're famous now and there's no doubt,  
In all the places you hang out,  
They know your name and know what you're about...

Whispers at the bus stop,  
I heard about nights out in the school yard,  
I found out about you...

Street lights blink on through the car window,  
I get the time too often on am radio,  
You know its all I think about,  
I write your name drive past your house,  
Your boyfriends over I watch your light go out...

Whispers at the bus stop,  
I heard about nights out in the school yard,  
I found out about you...

(Found Out About You - Gin Blossoms)

* * *

Naruto finished his last puff of the cigarette before tossing it away. He lifted up his head, looking up to the sky while raising his left hand, touching every snow dropped from the sky. The song that he sang just now really touched his heart, leaving sad experiences behind. And the only way to eliminate the sadness is to fight against the evil and corrupted enemies, the only ways of atonement for his past sins. he took of his long coat and his shirt before he walked a few meters to the front. The only clothes that he have was just a gi (baggy pants), an insane training routine that he always do during winter... sharpening his skills and techniques under the cold winter, while only wearing a baggy pants.

"I'll surpass you, Himura-sensei!!!"

Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Do-ryu sen!!

"I'll surpass you too, Seijyuro Hiko the 14th!!!"

Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, So-ryu sen!!

"I am Seijyuro Hiko the 16th, and I will try to achieve something...!!!"

Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Kuzuryu-sen!!

"..Or die for nothing!!!"

Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Amakakeru Ryunohirameki!!

"Let the dragon chooses its fate, its destiny and its way of life!!!"

Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Kuzuryu-zan!!

he stopped his kata stance, reminisced alone. His face looked as he had just met with a ghost...

"Goddammit, that's... that's the new techniques... developed from the Kuzuryu-sen style... No, No, No... I must be dreaming right now... damn, have to find sake... Shit, run out of cigarettes!!!".

"Fuck, have to find a bigger tree than this old tree...".

The big tree in front of Naruto broke into pieces when he launched his new, but deadly technique... a technique that not only can slice an enemy into nine pieces, but also can pierce the enemy through nine attacks, thus letting the enemy to feel the most severe pain before he dies. That shows how the basic techniques of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu can be innovated into the outerageous skills of a sadistic killer.

"Damn, I musn't use this skill to fight weaker one, or else...", he muttered alone.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"Kakashi-sensei, I have a great fear Naruto-kun will use that kind of technique against other participants tomorrow... Damn, he's getting much stronger than before!!!", Sakura, spoke, trembling in fear.

Sakura still in her shocked position, after looking closely towards what Naruto had done with the big tree that even Tsunade the Godaime wasn't that strong to smack the tree down. Her heart pounced fast, while thinking that her effort to save Naruto from his madness became a failure. Her tears ran over her cute cheek, while remembering Sasuke, the one the she love most and the recent Naruto, his only true comrade that recently has turned into a killing-enthusiasm manslayer that she nearly don't recognize, had ran away and back with their own personality.

"Damn it, I couldn't do anything to save Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun... what must I do, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Sakura, you must let them go for their own goals and dreams... I can't change them the way they're before, and this is the best thing that i suppose to do...", Kakashi replied back, slowly.

Kakashi was the one who most disappointed with the fled of Sasuke to Otokagure and Naruto to Kyoto, as he was once a teacher to them, a teacher that teached them the way of the true ninja. Sasuke is still a ninja, that is the most happy news that he heard from Tsunade. He always expected that Sasuke will never betray the principle of ninja, only to be blinded by the revenge towards his brother Uchiha Itachi. But the situation is trully different from Naruto. He quitted being a ninja, and getting rid of all of his jutsu, leaving only Rasengan in his mind. He turned into a samurai, and finally being the master of the samurai by learning the deadly Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, which was said to be the only ancient sword-fighting technique which requires the user to sacrifies his soul, and finally being a Hitokiri just like Himura Battousai or a loner just like Seijyuro Hiko the 14th. In Kakashi's mind, Naruto betrayed the principles of ninja and surrendered himself to the devil, which tainted his soul with madness and evil. That is why Kakashi was very disappointed with Naruto, due to Naruto's will to be the strongest and finally he got the title of the strongest Hitokiri by tainting his soul with madness, despair, hatred and evil.

* * *

Naruto woke up early in the morning, trying to make himself as busy as bees by washing his own hakama, gi and his other clothes. Before that he switched on his radio, as the song "Stand By Me" by NOFX was starting to be played.

"Oh, that interesting old-song... I love old songs...", Naruto smiled while carrying his dirty clothes to be washed. He made his way to the nearest river and soaked his dirty clothes as he started washing his clothes.

"These activites always makes me think that now I'm a housemaid, not a samurai anymore... the age of samurai has gone for a long time, away with my memories with Ishin Shishi movement... I'm trully missing Katsura-sama's growling about his not-so-tasty meal, Takatsugi-sama always singing horribly while playing his shamisen, Kenshin-sensei and Tomoe-dono always arguing about anything, Ishida-senpai and Rei-san always spend their times chating with me while drinking tea, what a sweet memories to be remembered..."

"I'm trully missing them...", Naruto having a deep thought while washing his clothes.

"Ah, there's another sweet memories that I almost forgot... Yeah, Hikaru-dono, our inn's keeper... she always wash my dirty clothes, cook for me... He he he, during the night before the Ishin Shishi troops entered Kyoto, Hikaru-dono and me drank too many sake and finally drunk.. that night I had accidentally screwed her in my bedroom... erghh, terrible...", Naruto spoke loud to himself as he finally noticed somebody behind him.

"What, Naruto?? You had sex with your inn-keeper??", Kakashi and Sakura shouted loudly in disbelief towards Naruto.

_Shit, they heard it... Uhh, there goes my big secret..._

"Accidentally... I was completely drunk that time, and in the morning I got up from sleep and finally noticed her beside me, naked... but she's pretty and hot, and she's good in it too..", Naruto continued washing his clothes.

"Tsunade-sama will be so furious when she knows about it... 'Naruto fucked his cute inn-keeper a night before his Hitokiri movement entered Kyoto'... I wonder what Anko's thinking when she hears about it?? Maybe she'll beg you to spend a night drinking expensive wine with her on her bed... she's hot, you know??", Kakashi spoke towards Naruto while reading the newer version of Icha Icha Paradise.

"Oh, I'm glad if Anko really does that... just like what wiseman says, grab the chance!!! but if it is Tsunade-sama want to spend a night drinking champagne with me on her bed, I'm not so sure if I should accept her offer or not... She a bit old even though she has a pair of big breast, 4D cup size..", Naruto continued washing his clothes.

"What are your reactions if it is Hinata who insists on begging your to sleep with her?? It would be fun, isn't it??", Kakashi aked, showing his curious face.

"Hmm, impossible... she's too naive for that stuffs but if she wants to, I'm glad to give her a piece of mine...he he...", Naruto showed his lustful face, causing Sakura to led a little gulp.

"Uhh, Icha Icha Paradise's influences... You're totally ruined for sure...", Sakura arranged her words.

"That's a lil bit of men's life... You'll never know about it, no matter how hard Sasuke-teme fucked you that night...", Naruto completed washing his clothes and quickly lit his cigarette.

"Naruto!!! Shut up!!! Never speak about that again!!!".

"Okay, okay... as you wish, miss Sasuke-Fucked-Your-Pussy-Hard... He he he, having fun teasing people, that's great...", Naruto brought his clothes and dried them by hanging them under the sunlight.

"Naruto!!!", Sakura shouted and suddenly numb as Kakashi showed his confused face towards Sakura.

"You have grown now... Sakura...", Kakashi sighed.

Naruto then grabbed his 'old friend' and make his way to the Konoha Taijutsu Arena, wearing his old long coat, his hakama and gi, black and white in colour which is the old uniform of the hitokiri movement. He continued smoking while ignoring his former teammates, Sakura and Kakashi who were walking behind him.

* * *

"Uzumaki Naruto of the Ishin Shishi No Hitokiri and Hyuuga Neji of the Hyuuga Clan, please step forward facing your opponent!! You have passed the first round, the quarter final round and now you're in the semi final round, winner will be declared after one of you knocked-out unconscious and i hope there will be no murder here!!!"

The crowd cheering loud, as both fighters made their way into the arena, hoping that the Hyuuga prodigy will win against the bastard famous hitokiri who had once the sworn enemy of every ninja villages.

'I will have no mercy against you, since you're the famous manslayer of the hitokiri movement, you got that clear??!!", Neji scowled in his confidence tone as he step into his famous Jyuuken style.

Naruto slowly posed into his battou-jutsu style, while his hand gripping the handle of his sakaba-tou hard. he smiled with an evil look as his eyes glared forward his opponent, ready to end the life of his opponent.

"The fight starts now!!!!"

Neji quickly dashed towards Naruto with his full speed, launching his Divination Field taijutsu when Naruto, who stood still there whispered in a slow tone.

"Shunten-satsu..."

Naruto dissapeared from his standing place, making way too dificult for Neji.

"Damn you, Naruto!!! Byakugan!!!", Neji activated his Byakugan and began to trail Naruto's whereabout, but still he failed, Naruto's quick pace was too fast for Neji to sense with his Byakugan.

The crowd had various thoughts about Naruto's ability but the same concept that they were thinking is... incredible!!!!

Naruto appeared behind Neji and launched his battou-jutsu, giving no chance for Neji to dodge or to fight his technique back.

His blow caused Neji to be thrown away to the walls around the arena. The crowd began to cheer as Naruto sheathed his sakaba-tou back with the godlike speed.

"My speed is equal to my master, Himura Battousai... My force is equal to my former rival, Saitou Hajime of the Shinsen Gumi... my Ki level is equal to my so-called 'brother', Yoshinobu Tokugawa of the Imperial Tokugawa batalion 7... there's no way you can defeat me...", Naruto spoke as he finally released his full Ki, causing some of the crowd who didn't have enough mental strength to fall unconscious.

"I knew it... the Chakura of The Emperor!!!", Neji trembled in fear, steeping back slowly as he saw the remaining crowd knelt down, as they were forced to do that.

"Oh, you call it the chakura of the emperor? We call it the Ki of The Shogunate..", Naruto spoke in proud tone, as he slowly walked towards Neji.

Neji felt that he was fighting against the famous warlord who united Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu as he saw Naruto walked proudly among the crowd which were kneeling upon him. The Ki that even made Uchiha Sasuke, who watched the whole fight scene to kneel down and trembled in fear.

"Damn you, Naruto!!! why did you have this awesome power??!! It supposed to be me, not you!!!", Sasuke cursed Naruto as he watched Naruto walked slowly, acting as the shogunate himself, towards Neji. Sasuke have the power to be among the strongest ninja in Konoha, due to his bloodline limit, the inheritage power of his clan... the Sharingan, and he had developed his Sharingan into Magenkyou Sharingan in his struggle to kill his brother, and now to surpass Naruto. But still he never suceeded in every attempts to surpass Naruto.

* * *

"This is the true power of Naruto Uzumaki, I see... he don't show his abilities yet until now... I'm sure this is the moment where he shows us how he obtains the title of The Shadow Manslayer, the successor of Hitokiri Battousai... the Chakura of The Emperor, no one knows this jutsu before, only the late Sandaime and now, Naruto themselves know...", Jiraiya spoke to Tsunade, to remind her of Naruto's true abilities.

"Damn you, Jiraiya!!! Naruto shouldn't enter this tournament!!! His abilities now are beyond any Kage in this world, and now he's fighting chuunin and jounin only!!! He'll kill them all, I swear!!! He'll kill them all!!!".

"hush, Tsunade... if Naruto will kill them all, then why did he spare Sakura's life three days ago?! Think Tsunade, think wisely!!! Even though he didn't have sympathy or any feelings of love, he may killed her as well!!! Do you know what this means??".

"What??".

"Aha, Naruto doesn't want to involve us in his matter... but I can see now that he is battling with his second persona... my guess, actually.".

"Better don't talk shit this time, Jiraiya... or I'll kill you now!!!".

"Wo wo wo, I'm serious dammit!!! His inner persona is his another personality who loves killing and watching blood spreading all over the places, or I trusted him as The Shadow Manslayer, the hidden Hitokiri who contributed a great help to Ishin Shishi during the fall of Tokugawa Shogunate by eliminating the remnants of the Tokugawa soldiers in Sapporo, now can you understand it?".

"Maybe, it's a hard truth... that's why the recent Naruto is more soft than the former one... yeah, as same as Kenshin Himura who tries hard to defeat his inner persona, Hitokiri Battousai!!! I got it!!! You have brain back there, surprisingly!!!".

"Hah, I'm the genius one!!! You are the one who always feel envy of me!!".

"Genius my ass!! Fuck you, Jiraiya!!!"

* * *

"Raise your hand, admit your defeat... I won't kill you...", Naruto spoke as he exhaled the cigarette smoke. The smat badass samurai began his psychological attack, instead of using his sword to win the match.

The whole crowd watched the fight with their full attention, hoping that Neji won't be another nin who had disgraced Konoha by admitting his defeat by the samurai, after Sakura.

"Too afraid to answer??!! Just raise your hand and admit your defeat... is it hard enough?! I'm afraid I can't stand longer till my 'other Naruto' will come out and if 'he' does come out, you wouldn't have the time to say goodbye to your clan... I give you five seconds until he goes out and replacing me, I'm sure he like to watch blood dripping wet from his Nagasone Kotetsu after the last 3 years in Kyoto!!", Naruto began to smoke, while standing arrogantly in front of Neji. His hand gripped Nagasone Kotetsu hard.

"Damn, he's calling out for Kage no Uzumaki The Shadow Manslayer!!! Everyone, prepare for any unwanted incident now!!!", Tsunade shouted to all of the crowd as she feel the Ki or should we say the murderous intent of Naruto is getting stronger and stronger.

The wind blew hard, as the leaves flew around Naruto. The leaves spinned fast around Naruto and finally burned by fire, resulting from Naruto's overwhelming Ki. Another sign of Naruto's overwhelming abilities, how ironic.

Every Hyuuga family members watched the situation and prepared if anything happens to their prodigy, even though they know the consequenses of fighting against the Seijyuuro Hiko of the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, the master of all sword techniques.

"Five..."

"Four..."

"Three..."

"Two..."

"One..."

"Ze..."

"I surrender!!! Naruto, you win!!!".

Naruto glared sharp towards Neji, who had raised up his hand while his head looked down dissapointingly. He lowered his Ki back to normal, and tossing his cigarette to the left.

"Another fight without any bloodshed, how boring...", Naruto spoke as he walked to the exit gate of the arena, with a loud cheer plus 'boo' voices from the crowd, leaving Neji alone in the middle of the arena.

* * *

That day, in the evening...

Kurenai was standing in front of Konoha memorial stone, remembering her precious moments with the late Azuma. There were so many precious moments with his beloved Azuma, only to be seperated when Azuma died in his fight against Hidan of the Akatsuki. Love will never die, only to be brought along with the person until he or she dies, Kakashi had once said this to Kurenai. It was too fast that she even can't cherished the moment with Azuma, the precious moment that she'll remember for the rest of her life.

She heard somebody walked towards the memorial stone, as she looked behind to see Naruto brought a bottle of cold sake and some sticks to be burned, as an honour towards the dead one.

She could only watched Naruto, who dressed in his full samurai fashion, along with his long coat, burned the sticks and knelt in front of the stone, praying for the dead. Naruto stood up and stepped behind before he bowed towards the stone. Then, Naruto opened the bottle and drank before he took out a small cup. He poured the sake into the cup and placed it in front of the memorial stone. He also placed a rose there.

"A formal occasion when a samurai visits a grave or a memorial stone...", Naruto spoke as he lit another cigarette.

"Naruto? You have changed a lot...", Kurenai arranging her words, not to make Naruto felt angry with her.

"Nothing have changed here... I am a samurai, and I'm always a samurai...".

"But you have the nindo of being a hokage... a hokage is a ninja, not a samurai..".

"Hokage is no longer for me, I'm happy with what I am now...", Naruto tossed the cigarette and lit another one.

Kurenai looked at the face of Naruto, only to see the sadness on his ambient eyes.

"I've been through Bakumatsu era, where most of my comrades got killed in order to seek for justice, to build the new government, to defend the innocents... everytime when I stepped in front of every memorial stone, I will always think of that... not to forget, the Shinsen Gumi and the Tokugawa soldiers who fought against us, they still a samurai to be honoured even though we are in the opposite fraction...".

"I guess we have the same destiny, Naruto... we fight for the justice, to defend the innocents... even though one of us will die, but we still need to continue our life...".

"Kill or to be killed, that's our duty... by hook or by crook, we must do it... nothing will change...".

Kurenai nodded in agreement.

"May Azuma-sensei rest in peace... Kami-sama will guarantee that...", Naruto spoke, ending his conversation as he started to walk to his small house, leaving Kurenai behind.

This Naruto has been growing up a lot, Kurenai thought alone.

Naruto stopped walking to his small house when he saw Sasuke standing in front of his small house, while Sakura sitting on the ground, crying.

"No Naruto!!! Don't fight him!!! Please, I beg you!!!", Sakura suddenly shouted while crying.

Naruto exhaled the smoke slowly and snapped his glare towards Sasuke, who was drawing his Kusanagi.

"Naruto!!!", Sasuke shouted loudly.

"yes...?".

"FIGHT ME!!!"

- End of Episode 12 -

* * *

Author's note

- Next chapter, Episode 13 - Till The Day I Die

- Hint for the next episode : I won't tell you anymore... otherwise, there will be no surprise!!! he he he...


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